Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Phil ended up retiring after everything, to no one's surprise. The hero gave the announcement the day after he was cleared to return home from the hospital, Wilbur being the one to act as his messenger.

The crowds pushed close to try to ask questions, but they were waved off with the excuse that the man needed time to heal. It wasn't much of an excuse, really, everybody had seen his wings in one way or another. All the photos that circulated online had the bloody stumps of the feathered limbs blurred out, but it was clear what had happened.

Everybody wanted to know what villain had done such a thing to their beloved hero - and XD's title was given, though Techno and the others that had been there carefully let the reporters away from anything that could have implied that the villain and Dream were the same. Blaze wanted to respect the memory that the city still held of the dead hero, leaving the rest of them to carry the burden of truth.

For nearly three weeks after the death of the villain, the family rested. Things were quiet, Phil constantly weighed down with the exhaustion of his body trying to heal the worst of the wounds he had received. Even with Ponk and occasionally Chailyn helping him heal, it was a slower process than any of them would have liked.

(It was still lightyears faster than anyone else would have healed, though.)

And yet, once Phil recovered from that, he pulled all of them into one room with a smile.

"So... how do you guys feel about a vacation?"

Techno raised an eyebrow at the man. "Where are you thinking of going?"

"That's a surprise," the angel responded, grinning. "If you all want to go on a vacation, I have a good place to go…"

"That doesn't sound ominous at all."

Wilbur hummed, shrugging. "I mean, I think that we all deserve a vacation after everything."

"Glad that someone agrees," Phil said with a laugh. "Tommy? Tubbo?"

The blonde looked up from where he had been messing around on his phone, glancing around at all of them. "I mean, fuckin yeah I wanna go. What should I pack? And for how long?"

Tubbo seemed a little more reserved, but he gave Phil a small smile and nodded. Even now the boy was distant, but it wasn't so bad - Phil had the feeling that Tubbo would always be just a half-step separate from the rest of them, no matter how close he stuck to Tommy. All the rest of them could do was wait and stay welcoming.

So the angel clapped his hands together. "Bring some warmer clothes, it's gonna be more chill than the weather here - Tommy, do we need to get some thicker hoodies for you?"

"Uhhhh- maybe? I mean, I'll probably be fine with my usual hoodie anyway-"

"Shopping trip!" Wilbur cried, interrupting the boy as he threw his arms up. He'd been looking for a reason to spoil the boy further for ages now.

Tommy just groaned, shaking his head. "I don't need more clothes!"

Wilbur simply grinned. "Too bad gremlin, I'm getting you out of your usual five outfits." At least three of those sets of clothes were from the months that the blonde had already spent with them, but they were all more suited for the summer months that they had been experiencing. Now with the weather turning more chill, and the upcoming trip, there was reason for more variation.

Phil watched his boys with a soft smile, a simple happiness filling him. He was excited to show them what existed outside of their own realm.

~~~

Tommy charged through the portal that Phil opened as soon as he could, Wilbur trying and failing to reach out and nab the back of his sweater. He hadn't even paused to take a look at what was laid out beyond the glowing doorway.

Which only made it more of a fun surprise, he thought, feeling the chill dewiness in the air the moment he stepped through.

It was an entirely new place, somewhere that he had never been before, and Tommy couldn't help the gasp of amazement that filled his lungs. He'd always wanted to travel, wanted to see all the places that his pitiful beginnings kept him from.

One minute he was running through the Minecraft family household (his home) and the next, his shins were being whipped by long grass, breathing in air that carried the scent of petrichor and something that was inherently natural, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He'd lived his entire life surrounded by steel and asphalt, even the parks in the city didn't smell anything like this. It was so… clean.

And it was so quiet as well, even as the chattering of the family faded in behind him. It was almost a little disturbing.

He was surrounded by a meadow, trees encircling the long grass and wildflowers around them, the entire scene softened by a layer of fog that had yet to be burned off by the rising sun. There was a small cottage off to the side, sturdy and somewhat overgrown, no smoke in the chimney to indicate someone being present - their vacation home, then. It was like someone had taken a snapshot of the most picturesque forest possible and dumped him in the middle of it.

"Wow," he heard Tubbo breathe beside him, eyes wide and staring. Of course, Tubbo of all people would be the one to be excited about this - with his powers, the entire meadow might as well be a minefield.

He would have to be careful to not start up any fights with the vigilante while they were here. He didn't want to be choked out by plant roots or something.

"So, where is this?" Techno hitched his bag a little higher on his shoulder, looking around.

Wilbur narrowed his eyes, humming. "Wait, wait- let me guess-" He turned a full circle, eyes scanning their surroundings.

"Fucking Geoguesser nerd!" Tommy called, pulling Tubbo along towards the cottage by the hand. The insults shouted in return were ignored with a laugh as the two boys raced towards the building, trying to get inside before the others could get there.

Eventually Tubbo had to use some of the vines that had grown over the cobbled surface of the cottage to jimmy the lock open, and then they nearly fell over the threshold together. They swarmed over the entryway, Phil shouting at them to take their shoes off in the house - which they did, kicking the offending footwear off as they went.

Into the barren-looking kitchen, through to the dining room, the sitting room with its plush couches and overstuffed loveseat. Immediately it was a wrestling match to see who could claim the seat, the boys pushing and shoving at each other, laughing, Tubbo nearly throwing Tommy away as he planted his ass on the cushion.

"Fuck- is it Scotland or something? Phiiiilllll," Wil trailed after the boys' father, clearly having gone through an entire list of guesses by now. "C'mon, I wanna know. Am I at least close?"

The angel simply laughed, batting at the taller hero with a hand. "Not in the least, mate- you weren't gonna be right anyway, we're not anywhere on Earth."

That made Tommy shoot up from his place on the floor, eyes wide. "What?!"

Techno narrowed his eyes, looking at Phil's grin. "... huh. Did you bring us to heaven or something?"

"Yup!"

"Never thought that I would be killed by my own father. Oh, the betrayal," the pink-haired hero said, deadpan, sending Phil into a round of wheezing laughter.

The rest of them, though, were all struck dumbfounded for a moment. But then Tubbo planted his hands on Tommy's shoulder and shoved himself up to his feet, eyes wide.

"Wait, you- coming here didn't actually kill us, right-?"

If possible, Phil only wheezed harder, tears in his eyes as he doubled over and set his hands on his knees, shaking with his laughter. "No, mate, I didn't- fuck, I didn't kill you-"

"What the fuck, Tubbo!" Tommy shouted, shoving at the brunette above him, pushing him back into his seat. "Techno, what the- why did you just immediately think that Phil would kill us?!"

The hero just held up his hands in surrender. "It was a joke, didn't know that you'd be so sensitive-"

"Fuck off!"

Eventually Phil collected himself together enough to stand properly again, clutching his aching stomach with a grin as he took a deep breath to settle himself. "This is my home, here in heaven- I thought that it would be a good place to make sure that we can all properly get away from the world for a bit. That, and I need to go see the healers here, they might be able to help my wings grow back faster than they would on their own."

Tommy's eyes widened, and he stood up, stumbling over to the angel. "Really?? How much faster do you think it'll be with their help?"

Phil shrugged a little. "Depends - I'm not entirely sure on how many others might need help at the moment, but since I'm already pretty functional, I won't be as much of a priority. They'll at least be able to get me started on getting them healed up, at least, and finish up whatever healing needs to be done still."

In return, Tommy whined, his own wings giving a little shake. "But how long?" It might be a little selfish, but he missed going on flights with Phil, being pulled through the air. It was everything that he wanted and was unable to have on his own, with his annoyingly small wings.

Phil chuckled slightly, patting the boy's head. "It'll probably be something like a year - maybe down to ten months, if I keep coming back to get help from the healers here."

Tommy could feel himself deflate a little - such a small joy, taken away after just a few too-short months. But- "I mean, ten months is better than a year..."

"Yeah," the angel said, grinning. "That's what I think too."

~~~

Fall passed into winter, and while Phil might be restless, the family found and fell back into both old and new habits. If Techno and Wilbur were gone on patrol, then the angel would be left to take care of the two teens left behind. It was fun, honestly, especially when Phil indulged the two with shows of his magic and the shenanigans that he could get up to.

More than once, Techno had come home to see Tommy slowly floating through an infinite loop of portals, trying to see how long he could keep his wings open.

(The answer: an unnecessarily long time.)

There was also once that Tubbo had gotten Phil to experiment with his 'holy fire', which he apparently could use - it was hot, but not uncomfortably so to those that he didn't want to burn. Which was pretty damn poggers, in Tommy's opinion.

Wilbur hadn't been so amused when he walked in to see Tubbo cackling, holding up a hand-sanitizer soaked hand that had been lit up in pale fire.

"Phil, I thought that you were supposed to be the responsible one!" The brunette hissed, slamming his hands on the counter.

In return, the angel looked a little sheepish, glancing over at Tommy who was unironically munching on the popcorn that they had made for the movie they'd watched earlier. Now it served as an adequate snack while watching his dad get lectured by his brother. Perfect entertainment.

"I am, mate, I just..."

"You set Tubbo on fire, how is that responsible-"

"It was holy fire, it wasn't going to hurt him," Phil said, clearly trying to keep himself from laughing. "He wanted to mess around a bit, is all."

"And what if the fire alarm had gone off??"

At that, Phil paused and shrugged. "I would've taken care of it."

"Phil, you can't just knock out our fire alarm every time you make it go off-"

The angel gave an offended squawk, as Tommy wheezed out his laughter, watching as Wilbur was forced to dodge away from the older's lunge.

~~~

"So..." Tubbo stabbed at his food, not quite meeting the eyes of the family seated around him. It was almost Christmas - which meant it was almost his birthday, a fact that he had kept to himself thus far.

"Was'sup?" Tommy spoke around a bite of his own food, glancing up from across the table.Techno huffed and nudged the blonde. "At least try not to spit food everywhere if you're not going to have any manners."

"Fuck off, I'll spit food at you, bitch."

"Please do not," Phil said with a sigh, before turning his attention to Tubbo. "What were you going to say, though?"

Tubbo stared back at him for a moment before giving his own little sigh, deflating with the sound. It wasn't like he thought he was going to offend any of them, but… well, it was nice, hanging out with the family. Even Techno, sometimes, though there would always be a lingering tension between them.

He took a moment to gather himself. "So, I was thinking of moving out. It- I appreciate that you've let me stay here for so long, but-"

"You…" Phil paused as the table went quiet, all four pairs of eyes landing on Tubbo now. "You know that you don't have to, right? You're always welcome here, Tubbo."

"I know- I know, you've made that… abundantly clear," he responded. "I just think that I'd like- uh-"

"You're always going to be a little independent, aren't you?" The angel gave him a small smile - and Tubbo felt a breath of assurance fill his lungs as he nodded.

Tommy huffed out a laugh. "Tubbo, independent? Never, he's the most clingy fuck I've ever met," he said, even as the blonde's ankle nudged his own, half hooking around his leg.

In return, the brunette grinned at him. "Uh huh, sure. Then maybe it'll be a good thing that I won't be here as often?"

Blue eyes glared at him, narrowing down to slits. "I'd like to see you try."

"Bet."

"You won't last a week."

"I guess we'll have to see who visits who then."Wilbur snorted. "Are you going to need help looking for a place? I've seen some apartments that seem to be open, if you ever need an extra pair of eyes."

"Yeah, sure. I don't really know what I'm doing, so..." Tubbo shrugged, stabbing at his food again.

Techno hummed, staring at the younger brunette. "Got any plans on where you're gonna be working? If you're gonna be living on your own."

"I mean, I don't think that any of us would object to paying for another apartment, it's not like we need the extra money," Wilbur shrugged.

Phil chuckled quietly. "But that doesn't really leave him independent, does it?"

Tubbo listened to them talk, fiddling with his fingers, as Tommy stared intently at him. Maybe he was going to regret saying anything about this, but- "Well, I was… thinking of maybe working at the Hero Guild."

"What?!" Tommy sat up more in his seat, foot pulling away from Tubbo's as the blonde pushed himself to sit up straighter. "Seriously? What kind of work, though-?"

"I… I was going to try getting into the hero program," he said quietly, steadily avoiding the other's eyes.

He wasn't expecting Phil's voice to be so soft when he spoke. "Really, mate? With everything, I wasn't expecting you to go so far."

"Well, clearly being a vigilante isn't going to pay for much, and... there are things that I want to change about heroes, and- y'know, what better way to change things by infiltrating their ranks?" Tubbo shrugged, hands still fidgeting in his lap.

Wilbur snorted. "Maybe try to find a less illegal-sounding way to say that, and yeah- sounds like a plan to me."

"That's so cool, big T!" Tommy crowed, throwing his arms up. "I can't believe you're gonna become a hero before me- that's shit. Phil, can't I join with Tubbo?"

"Wait a couple of years or so and then we'll see," the angel said, just like he had every time the topic of Tommy’s age had come up. "Not until you actually turn eighteen."

"I'm already eighteen!"

"You got papers to prove that?"

The blonde flopped backwards in his seat, pouting. "Fuck you. Give me a week and I'll show you-"

"You can't just go out and get a fake ID made," Techno interrupted. "Honestly at this point, we'll have to get Sam to back up any identification that you manage to scrounge up."

"Oh come on, man! The people are just waiting for a return of Riot, the biggest man to ever live-"

"Absolutely not."

"Fuck off, bitch!"

~~~

Techno looked up as the stack of presents dwindled, ever smaller. He had never truly caught onto the whole 'spirit of Christmas', not like Wilbur had - but it was a good excuse to give gifts that he otherwise wouldn't have. Birthdays were okay as well, but there was something more comfortable about everybody giving and receiving boxes and bags of goods that made it easier on him.

So he finally shuffled over to grab the small boxes wrapped in a slightly matte, metallic silver paper. Four, all small enough to fit in one hand, all shaped slightly different. Without a word, he handed them out, one to each person.

Tubbo gave him an odd look as his box was passed to him, but he didn't question the gift as it was passed to him.

"Awww, Techno, did you get us all something?" Wilbur grinned at him, already picking at a corner of the wrapping.

The piglin hybrid only grunted, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Just open them."

Tommy didn't need to be told twice, ripping the wrapping off the small jewelry box, lifting the lid and giving a wide grin. "Oh, that looks- is this a phoenix?" With one hand he lifted the necklace out of the box, flicking the golden pendant that hung on the similarly colored chain.

It was shaped like a bird, wings half-spread in flight, a small ruby embedded in its chest. Beside him, Tubbo lifted a similar necklace, though the pendant was a ram reared back for a charge, with a pale green diamond as the centerpiece.

Techno nodded, as Wilbur hummed in delight - his gift was a set of golden bangles, two of which were shaped into something reminiscent of a fish, or mermaids. The rest were plain bands, to make sure they didn't take away from the beauty of the two accent pieces. And for Phil, it was a set of earrings - the spinning emeralds catching the light as they twirled, along with the golden edges of the feathers that dangled below them.

"Oh, Tech," Phil breathed, his fingers brushing over the black feathers - ones that Techno had found around the house after everything with XD had happened. "These are beautiful - you got them custom made?"

Techno ducked his head a little, feeling his cheeks flush. It felt like a good gift - Phil's wings were getting better, little stubs growing from his back when he had shown them a couple weeks ago. But the earrings looked cool, and it was a good reminder that the angel's wings would apparently grow back soon enough.

"We match!" Tommy nudged Tubbo with a grin, as he slipped his necklace around his neck, nearly going cross-eyed as he struggled with the latch in front of his face. "This looks really fuckin cool, Techno."

Tubbo, for his part, honestly just looked confused. Which was fair - Techno knew that getting the boy a gift was going to be awkward any way he went about it, but… it felt right. Tubbo was Tommy's family, just as much as the rest of them were, and Techno couldn't think of another way to offer a bit of a peace treaty between them.

"Thought that you two would want to match, yeah," he rumbled quietly, looking away. Wilbur grinned at him, and he rolled his eyes in return. It was just a gift - a totally normal gift from a totally normal hybrid. Nothing overly special about that, no need to be weird about it.

Still, he couldn't help but give a little smile when everybody was wearing their golden gifts.

But then he was surprised when Tubbo tossed a package back to him - something about the size of a pencil box. As he opened it, he found that it was... a knife. Honestly it didn't look like the best knife, like it was something bought on a budget and without much thought, but Techno was familiar enough with these sorts of weapons to know that it was sturdy, would last a long time.

With the way that Tubbo refused to meet his eyes, he got the feeling that the boy hadn't just clicked the first thing that had popped up, and he gave a quietly amused huff.

(No one seemed to notice when that knife became another staple of his hero getup, tucked into his belt to reach easily.)

~~~

When Tubbo did move out, Tommy in fact did come visit him first. Technically, it was only because Phil made him, because Tubbo was the one that left his shit at the house. Tommy was just the messenger, and he… stayed longer than he technically needed to. It wasn't like there was anything wrong with that.

Quite the opposite, really, as they settled in. They'd spent the first few hours of the visit just messing around and putting things away, before Ranboo came home, and Tommy immediately called him a bitch.

Ranboo moving in with Tubbo had come as somewhat of a surprise, but honestly it was probably a good idea, even Tommy could admit to that. Tubbo didn't want to be alone in his apartment despite his need for independence, and Tommy was still soaking in the feeling of having a family with the Crafts. Besides, Ranboo and Tubbo had always seemed close - Tommy didn't even know how they had met, but it felt like a needless story to him now.

Now, they were all hanging out in the living room, Tommy draped over the overstuffed armchair, playing games on his phone as his head slipped more and more into an upside down position as he played some bangers.

"Tommy, if you play that fucking Wii trap song one more time, I am going to defenestrate you," Tubbo threatened, just as Tommy's thumb hovered over the button to restart the song.

"But why? It's a banger, clearly you simply do not appreciate good music-"

"You've been playing it for two hours, I don't care how quiet you keep it, I'm going to throw you out a window if you don't change the song." Tubbo gave him a glare, his lips stretching into a grin that was nothing less than feral.

Tommy frowned back at him, eyes narrowing. "Ranboo likes it, though," he said.

In defense, the enderman hybrid held up his hands. "Nnnnope, I'm not getting in the middle of this."

"Fuck you, Boob boy-"

"Now that's just uncalled for-"

"Change the fucking song, Tommy!"

Any peace that existed in the apartment dissolved the moment that Tubbo lunged for Tommy, the blonde rolling away with a cackle.

"Fine, fine!"

"And it better not be that fucking Able Sisters song either, or I will throw you off the roof-"

"Fuck off, you can't stop me!"

"Don't test me, bird boy."

~~~

It was an awkward thing to explain, when Phil still found himself stepping through portals to defend his boys. He'd become a rather rare sight in the public's view - as bored as he admittedly did get at home, he didn't particularly enjoy the eyes that fell on him, the wingless hero.

Even if he knew that his wings were growing back, slowly but surely, it was uncomfortable to be so blatantly reminded of their loss. The lack of weight on his back was felt all the more keenly in those moments.

But at the very least, despite the fact that he had retired, he wasn't going to stop protecting his charges. So when he felt a tug at the thread that connected him to his boys, he followed it.

Sword out, extended before him, and he was reminded of a different time, years ago. Catching an axe on the blade of his weapon and quickly disarming the person that dared to threaten his charge. This time it was Tommy, the blonde knocked to the ground - it seemed like he had gotten caught in a random villain attack.

He wasn't a hero anymore, and the blonde had at least temporarily given up his vigilantism. But that didn't keep Phil from holding the sword up to the villain's throat, eyes narrowed.

"You better have a good reason to be harming my son, mate," the angel said, voice calm. Behind him, Tommy was scrambling up to his feet.

The villain stared at him, eyes wide beneath the mask. To the rest of the world, Philza had retired - but come on, did they really think that he was useless without his wings? "I- I-"

"Tommy," Phil said quietly, handing his phone off to the boy. "Call your brothers, will you? They can take care of this."

And with that, he swung his sword, hitting the villain in the side of the head with the flat of his blade. It still left a gash over the man's cheek, but he didn't give it much mind. Instead he turned towards Tommy as the boy made the call, giving him a quick once-over to make sure he wasn't hurt.

Then he snorted, shaking his head as he noted all the people staring at him. Honestly, he didn't have to retire when he lost his wings - once he healed up he would be fine. Even if he didn't have the same mobility without them, he could still take care of himself. Hell, the world knew of at least four other things that he could do, his 'powers' that were so out of the ordinary. Maybe he should come back just to spite them or something.

That would be funny, he thought.

Maybe it was more surprise over the fact that he had recovered so quickly? But he was pretty sure that everybody knew that heroes had their own healers.

Tommy huddled close to his side, and the angel wrapped an arm around him. "You alright, mate? Is Tech on his way?"

"Yeah, he said he'll be here in a few minutes." The blonde ducked his head down to press his face to his shoulder. A faint shiver ran through the boy's body - not quite a shiver of cold, despite the chill in the air.

Even months after the events of the end of last summer, the teen still woke up from nightmares. He woke up gasping and crying, shaking until he was held fast and reassured - either by one of his brothers or by Phil himself.

It had been a while since he did anything as a vigilante, a while since he'd truly seemed to want to do anything. Slowly, the fear was ebbing away, but it wasn't a perfect process.

Shooting another glare at the now unconscious villain, Phil knew that the process would continue on for a while longer. For now, all he had to do was make sure that his youngest was safe.

Techno found them like that, Phil's hand sliding through Tommy's hair as they waited for the hero.

"Nice job," he said with a grunt, hauling the villain over his shoulder. "Idiot trying to do anything in the middle of the day. You okay, Tommy?"

"Just fine, big man," the blonde responded, picking his head off of Phil with a smirk that didn't quite make it to his eyes.

Phil just smiled at Techno. "Thanks for coming along. We'll see you back home tonight, right?"

"Unless I'm sent out on patrol, yeah." The hero reached over and gently ruffled Tommy's hair.

In return, Tommy leaned into the comfort of his brother, and they were able to rest in the moment. Then they returned home via portal, and the blonde took his time returning to his usual boisterous self, leaving the angel some time to reflect.

There was an idea brewing at the edge of Phil's mind.

~~~

"You really think that he can be trusted with the responsibilities of a hero?" One of the council members spoke up, and Techno shoved away the itching need to shift under the intent gazes of so many.

Firmly, he nodded, knowing he couldn't show any weakness in this meeting. "Tubbo Underscore was living with my family for months before he turned in any application to the Guild, and he was involved in the takedown of XD. In that time, and since, I've come to trust that he has changed for the better."

"Even when you knew that he was also the villain known as Nightshade?"

"That's who he used to be, yes." He had to keep the narrative in his court, or these people would tear Tubbo apart- ugh, he hated having to deal with people like this. Hopefully Wilbur's meeting went better than this. "But- as you must have seen on his paperwork, the kid would've only been fourteen at the time. I don't think that the Hero Guild should shut down an honest attempt at improvement because of things that he did when he was a kid."

"Do you think that he could be a potential risk, if a villain were to try to turn him to their side?"

Techno sighed. "Sure he could. But any of us other heroes could be a potential risk as well."

"And even with that-"

"Let me say this clearly," he interrupted, feeling rather impatient. "From what I've learned, Tubbo's history has been pretty rough. He's an orphan, and for some reason he felt justified in becoming a villain at the age of fourteen. I killed him when he was still known as Nightshade - XD brought him back because he saw potential in him. And yet when Tubbo saw what XD was doing, he was moved to then become a vigilante, known as Synthesis.

"He lived with me and my family for nearly seven months before moving out, and frankly he might as well be family as well. If you can't trust the opinions your top heroes, then who can you trust?" Techno crossed his arms over his chest, huffing. "I know, we might be gettin tricked or something, as you like to argue. But I like to think that I can trust the people I have let into my home for so long. He's shown more initiative for protecting this city than a lot of other heroes. I say that you should give him a chance."

For a few moments, there was a tension in the room that started to make the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He wasn't sure if he should be upset at their silence or not, as he waited, but eventually one of the council members cleared their throat.

"Well... I think that will be all for now, Blade. Thank you for your time."

With a quiet snort, Techno pushed himself to his feet to meet Phil and Wilbur out in the waiting room beyond.

Things were only quiet for a few moments, as the other two stood and followed his steps to the elevator. It was still rather odd to see Phil without his wings, even if Techno knew that they were growing back. They were almost half-grown now, awkward and featherless - the angel had said that the feathers would come in as the last stage of the regrowth, to avoid any awkward clashing.

"Do you think he'll make it in?" Wilbur eventually spoke up. "I really hope he does, but they seem to be going pretty harshly on him."

Phil hummed. "I dunno, mate. I hope he does too, but you have to admit, there's a lot of complicated shit behind him. Maybe they'll do more of an apprenticeship?"

"With who though?" Techno glanced at the angel, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think many heroes have officially taken an apprentice in a long while."

"Hmm. Probably Sam, honestly. With Tubbo's penchant for tech, they'd be a good fit, I think."

Techno gave a thoughtful hum of his own, shrugging. "That could work, yeah."

Wilbur laughed slightly at the thought. "God, just imagine what they would get up to. Plants and tech put together - they'll be terrifying if they get paired up."

"Mate, they probably won't even have to be paired up, they'll probably end up finding each other regardless of how Tubbo gets into the Guild," Phil pointed out.

"God, yeah, you're right. They're going to bring about the AI apocalypse, but greener."

Phil gave a laugh, and things were alright - for a while longer, until they heard back from the Guild, things were going to be alright.

~~~

"Guys, I think I got it!" Tubbo called, and immediately all three adults that were in the kitchen looked towards the living room.

Soon enough, the teen was speed-walking into the room, holding his laptop, Tommy following just a step behind. Phil eyed the blonde - despite how Tommy might act, he really was quite nervous about his best friend potentially getting denied from the Guild.

The three heroes had been paying for Tubbo's place so far, just so that the boy could have the space to himself and Ranboo. But they were awaiting the decision from the Guild council.

Which apparently the brunette had gotten word of.

Carefully, Tubbo set his laptop down, as if it would help soften the blow of a potential refusal. Tommy stood at his shoulder, staring at the screen, his gaze flickering up to his friend's face and back.

"Well..." Phil sighed, wiping his hands on a rag once he put one of the last dishes away for now. "Might as well rip off the bandaid, no use dragging things out. Read it."

Tubbo looked up to stare at him for a long moment, before releasing a nervous breath and nodding. Carefully, the boy led his cursor over, and tapped on the email.

They all watched with bated breath as his eyes picked through the words, Tommy reading over his shoulder as well. It was a long moment that passed, until Tubbo's frown started to show itself.

"I-"

"Congratulations, dude!" Tommy cried out over the brunette, as Tubbo looked up at him, confused.

"What? It- they-"

Tommy pointed at the screen, reading out the sentence. "'We have decided that it is best to not hold greviances against you when you have shown such promise as a potential hero, and as such have accepted your application to the Hero Guild'- Tubbo, you made it!"

For a moment the brunette seemed shock, narrowing his eyes at the screen once again in deep concentration before his expression turned into a wide grin. "Oh! Oh my god- okay, I- I read it wrong at first, the words just-"

Again, Tommy let out a shout of delight, crushing Tubbo in a short hug. "You're gonna be a hero, big man! That's so fucking poggers!"

And now Phil came around the corner to also join in on the affection, pulling both the boys into his arms, a swell of pride making his heart beat against his chest. How amazing these boys were, how strong they had to be to get through everything they had and still push themselves.

"You're gonna be amazing, mate," he said with a grin, knocking his head against the flatter side of one of Tubbo's horns.

The brunette grinned back at him, and behind him Wilbur cackled.

"The Craft family and friends group is going to take over the Hero Guild at this rate, Phil!"

"Wouldn't that be great, maybe they'd finally stop breathing down our necks about public appearances," Techno grumbled to himself, though the piglin hybrid was also smiling to himself.

Tubbo laughed. "No can do, big man, I'm going to get them to make you do more interviews."

In return, Techno stared at him with an emotionless expression. "If you do, I can't promise anyone will make it out alive."

Phil let out a laugh, turning to whack at the hero’s arm.

Yeah, everything would be alright.

~~~

More months passed. Phil still stayed out of the public eye, Techno and Wilbur still did their duties as heroes, Tommy still worked at Niki's bakery, Tubbo still spent at least a couple evenings each week over at the house for dinner.

But now, Phil had blood feathers beginning to push through the soft layer of fluffy down that had finally settled on his wings. Techno started to use Phil's cabin in heaven as a safe haven for when the world got too busy. Wilbur started making music, putting together a band that didn't yet have a name. Tommy started looking out the window at night, a familiar spark of longing for adventure reigniting in his chest. Tubbo learned the benefits and hardships of the life of a hero, and worked hard to help the people that now started to look up to him.

Things were so similar, and yet so different to what they had been nearly a year ago now. Winter eased into spring, which stepped and slipped into warm summer showers.

When Tommy finally slipped out the window late one night, familiar mask in hand, his heart was thrumming with adrenaline. It was like his first time on patrol all over again, creeping through the streets and jumping at every unexpected sound that the city made. Every distant crash was a fight waiting to draw him in, every yowl of an alley cat was the wail of a police siren coming to life.

Nearly a year, and Riot was back in town. But this time, he was more suited for a fight, having gotten used to sparring with his family. This time he had even better control of his powers. He was stronger, faster, better than he had ever been before.

Soon enough he was breathing easier, a grin settling on his lips as he looked around. He was back in his element. For all that the Craft family did to give him everything he could ever want, part of Tommy would always be a street kid.

That night was only a single run-in with someone trying to mug an unsuspecting victim, but Tommy continued going out. He got more familiar with his old habits, got better at telling when a noise was something he should pay attention to.

Phil's feathers had only half finished growing back in when the angel unexpectedly joined Tommy on patrol one night.

His arrival nearly scared the lights out of the vigilante, Tommy flinching at the sight of a new figure before he relaxed, realizing that it was only Phil.

"Fuck man, couldn't you at least give me a warning?"

Phil chuckled, holding up his hands as he looked the vigilante up and down. "Sorry mate. Just wanted to see what you were doing out so late, but..." A hand waved over the outfit that Tommy was wearing. "I think that's pretty obvious."

"No shit, dad," Tommy said, rolling his eyes underneath the mask.

"You could've told us you were going out again, y'know."

Tommy just shrugged, not meeting the angel's eyes. He knew he could, he trusted his family, but... he also didn't want to worry them, honestly. "Just didn't think that it was that big of a deal," he said instead.

"Riot," Phil said, lightly scolding, glancing past the vigilante to see the tied, gagged, and unconscious criminal he had apprehended just before the angel had shown up. "You know that it's gonna be a bit of a big deal to all of us. We want to keep you safe."

In return, Tommy frowned - pouted, really - and looked away. "I know that, but I don't need everybody keeping me safe, I can handle myself just fine, I’m a big man. I did before, and I can now."

The angel smiled at him, his wing shifting just a bit to wave Tommy closer. "Of course you can. But things out here can be unpredictable, you know that."

The vigilante huffed, but let Phil continue, feeling like he wasn't quite done.

Alas, after a pause, the older blonde glanced up at the sky and smiled. "Well… I've been thinking, and… it's just an idea for now, but once my feathers grow in properly, I could come patrol with you, if you want."

Tommy stopped, thinking over the words, before his mouth dropped open in shock. "You- you mean you wanna become a vigilante? With me??"

Phil let out a loud cackle, throwing his head back as a portal opened. "C'mon mate, don't just shout about it out here. Let's get home first - you already called the police for that guy, right?"

"Mhm," he nodded quickly, pushing for the portal. "Now come on, I want to hear what you're planning!"

~~~

Unlike Phil's first time entering the world under a new identity, his debut as a vigilante was actually pretty smooth.

First off, he could actually control how many supposed 'powers' he showed the world. Upon Tubbo's insistence, it was his holy fire, something that could burn without destroying. It could be used as intimidation, crowd control, and all sorts of other tricks, as the young hero pointed out.

And most importantly, he could use his wings again. To the rest of the world, Philza had lost his - but at the same time, the new vigilante of the city had just gotten his. The fact that his feathers had grown back in their natural blood red hue helped with throwing people off the scent of his hero identity. He had to force himself into a new fighting style that didn't incorporate his wings so much, but he managed.

Funnily enough, despite the color of his wings, he saw a few newspapers calling him 'Crowfather', a nickname that he had originally earned in his early days as a hero. It was less because of his wings, and more for the murder of crows that he had befriended in the city - the way that they had followed him around for months.

He had apparently befriended the crows with his bored feeding from the backyard of the house, and the nickname had been given.

(He had started to sit with Techno as the hero scrolled through vigilante discussion subreddits, reading the theories that people had.)

(He was surprised to see how many of them actually had some parts of the story right.)

Either way, the name stuck. Despite his original intention of making his vigilante name Zephyrus upon Techno's suggestion, he took the city's given name and made it his own.

Crowfather and Riot, a pair of avian vigilantes that bickered and played and fought together like family.

Phil had to admit, there was something satisfying about taking on smaller fights. Seeing the relief and thankfulness in the eyes of the people that they helped firsthand. They weren't part of a swimming crowd that had been held hostage, they weren't one of the many faceless victims that ran for shelter in the middle of a villain attack.

It was more personal, more sweet in a way. Him and Tommy got familiar with the few individuals that had to walk home late at night, some others that didn't have the luxury of a home, even a small handful of other vigilantes that worked throughout the city.

Even if Phil would never be able to remove his mask around the people that he helped and worked alongside with, he found himself truly enjoying the work of a vigilante. It was good time to bond with his newest charge, gently teasing information about his life before they met out of him, letting the boy talk.

The things he liked, missed, had enjoyed about the orphanage that he came from, the things that he had struggled through. His general dislike of school, even if he enjoyed learning, the way that his teachers always seemed to talk down to him. The things that he had done to get away, how clever he was to continue avoiding anyone that could send him back to the orphanage that he had pulled himself out of.

Finally, Phil was able to find the birth certificate of a child who's parents had left him. Not to any fault of theirs, from what he dug up his mother had been young and unable to care for him, a small comfort to the angel at least.

Thomas Innit, born April 9th - why hadn't he told them? - now seventeen years old. Technically he'd been missing for four years, marked as a runaway, though people had likely long stopped looking for him. A heartbreaking reality, but there were too many kids to keep track of in the system.

And besides, Phil thought to himself as he looked over at the blonde as he shouted curses at Techno over a game of Mario Kart, things ended up alright this time around. Tommy was right where he needed to be.

~~~

It was firmly into summer when Phil adopted Tommy, legally this time.

Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as it would have been a year ago - they were already family, already living together and loving the time they all spent together - but Tommy still cried as he threw himself into Phil's arms.

None of them could deny that they had cried, even with how much Techno huffed when Wilbur pointed it out.

~~~

"So…"

"Oh, this will be good," Wilbur said with a grin, looking up as Tubbo spoke. Whenever the boy started with that hesitant, jittery tone, it was always followed either by chaos or something entirely unexpected. Sometimes - usually - a mix of both.

The family had been hanging out at the younger hero's apartment, though Techno had to leave for some call at the Tower, and Phil and Tommy had taken Ranboo out to the store to get things for dinner. Now it was just the two brunettes, and a broken moment of quiet between the two.

Tubbo flashed him a grin from under his mass of brown curls. "Do you know what you need in order to get a marriage license?"

A pause, and Wilbur sat up, not sure how he should respond. "Tubbo... what are you planning?"

"Tax benefits, Wil. Tax benefits," the younger hero said, his grin only growing.

The only thing that Wilbur could do was laugh, as he buried his face in his hands. "What the fuck, Tubbo! Who are you even getting married to?"

"Ranboo, obviously. We've already planned most of it out, we just need to agree on a prenup, I think?"

At that moment the door opened, revealing the three that had left earlier, Tommy leading the way with a couple of bags in his hand. "What's a prenup?"

Behind him, Phil blinked, and Ranboo's cheeks colored in surprise. "Mate, why are you talking about prenups?"

Wilbur threw up his arms, cackling into the air. "Apparently Tubbo and Ranboo are getting married!"

"For tax benefits!" The younger hero included with a laugh of his own, as Tommy's expression skewed into a confused sort of disgust.

"Ranboo, what the fuck," the blonde said, turning to the split-haired boy behind him.

The tall teen just shrugged, not quite meeting Tommy's eyes before he followed Phil towards the kitchen. "In my defense… it was Tubbo's idea?"

"I don't think that the two of you really need to worry about the tax benefits, anyway?" The angel spoke up from the counter, looking quizzically between the two. "Tubbo makes more than enough as a hero to keep both of you afloat, so…?"

"It's not about saving money, Phil!" The short brunette hopped up onto his knees on the couch, leaning over the back of it as Wilbur watched, amused. "It's about fucking with the government."

"And I thought that you were a force for good," Wilbur said with a grin, standing up to wander over to the kitchen, poking around for something he could help prepare.

Tubbo simply gave him a blank stare, a rather uncanny impression of Techno, if Wilbur had to say. "I was a villain at fourteen years old, then a vigilante, and then I joined the Hero Guild to infiltrate it and change its policies from the inside- you think that I'm a force for good? I'm chaotic neutral at best."

~~~

In many ways, things settled the way that they had begun.

It settled with an all-around invitation for a movie night, a Saturday night that everybody promised to be there for. Ranboo and Tommy made sure their schedules were free, and the heroes made sure that unless things really went to shit, they wouldn't be bothered.

By the time that Tubbo and Ranboo got there, the Craft family had fashioned nearly all of the blankets and pillows in the house into arguably the most glorious pillow fort that any of them had ever seen. Popcorn was made, snacks were poured into bowls, and drinks popped open for all of them to enjoy.

Movies were chosen by majority vote (cheating was allowed, if you couldn't keep your arm from getting pulled up, you were simply too weak to choose a movie), and together the six of them settled down to watch.

It didn't stop the bickering, the shoving and playful snips, Phil picking at the use of the Wilhelm scream, Wilbur pointing out plot holes and Techno joining in on the shaming of stupid decisions that characters made, or the fervent hushing from Ranboo during his favorite scenes. But it was the peace that they had settled into, over the last year of events that they had lived through together.

It was comfortable, and warm, bodies squished together with bony elbows digging into sides and knees bumping.

Tommy was the first to drift off, to Wilbur's delight. The brunette cooed happily when the blonde's head rested more heavily on his shoulder, reclined against the front of the couch from where they laid on the ground, cushioned by a stack of blankets. Then it was Ranboo, half curling around Tubbo, who followed shortly, leaving the three oldest awake.

Phil looked over the three sleeping boys, and felt his heart warm. Wilbur continued gently dragging long fingers through Tommy's hair, Techno sitting and only half watching the still-playing movie with a hand resting over Ranboo's leg still thrown over his lap.

The angel found a gentle prayer slipping from his lips. Not to the God that he knew with some irrefutable certainty existed, but rather the soul of the wife he had lost long before this moment.

Things wouldn't always be perfect, he knew - but this moment, watching the steady rise and fall of his kids, the people closest to his heart, was as close as he could ever get. Tommy would still wake up from nightmares, and Tubbo would still have that wary nervousness around Techno, and someday Phil would outlive them all.

But he had these beautiful, ephemeral moments to show him why it was worth it.