"You can't avoid it, you know."

"I'm not avoiding anything, " Tommy stresses, refusing to meet the man's gaze.

"I'm dead," Wilbur says.

Tommy stares at the sheets.

"You're not funny," Tommy laughs.

"Tommy, look at me."

Tommy clenches the sheets.

______

Goddammit.

It's fine.

Once more.

______

"Wil!" Tommy grins, "Come here to be a clingy shit?" He teases.

Wilbur smiles.

The man takes a seat at the edge of his bed.

"They're dead too," Wilbur gestures to those outside the door. Tommy can hear their laughter.

"God, can't you just," Tommy fumbles, "You sound like Clementine."

"I sound like you."

Tommy looks up and he's staring into his own eyes.

There's a young boy on his bed, with a head of golden curls and sunken blue eyes. His clothes are torn, tinged with smoke.

"I'm tired," The boy confesses.

"I don't care," Tommy stares.

"I don't want to be here anymore."

"Well I do," Tommy seethes.

The boy's eyes fill with tears, "I want to go home."

"This is home, don't you get it?" Tommy grits out, glaring at his hands. "You wouldn't understand, you're just a child," He spits.

"So are you," and when Tommy looks back up, he's staring at Wilbur.

His brother smiles, a little sadly, "It's time, I think."

"No," Tommy hisses.

"It is," Wilbur responds, "And that's okay. You had fun, didn't you?"

"I always have fun."

"You got to be a hero," Wilbur smiles, "You saved us from the fire, Toms. Didn't you? Or how else would we be here?"

Tommy glares. "I'm not a hero."

Wilbur only hums.

______

The streets below begin to burn.

______

"Tommy, it's time for you to go," Wilbur tells him.

Tommy ducks his head down as tears cloud his vision.

"No," He protests, voice wobbly. He fucking hates this.

A hand rests in his hair.

"I missed you, Wilby," He continues, "And dad and Tech."

"I know."

"I want to stay with you."

"I know."

"I don't want to leave."

"I know."

"This was fun," His voice cracks, "We- we- we defeated crime together," Tommy laughs shakily, "Crime bros right? You and me. I had a glock," He snorts, "And swords. I was so cool. Wasn't I? TommyInnit, the courageous and athletic and handsome and charismatic vigilante," He grins.

"Mhm."

"Wilbur, stay with me," He begs.

"Tommy," The man tilts his head, "Who are you asking? You know he's not here."

_______

The sky cracks. A fracture.

_______

"I know," Tommy sobs, "But can you stay with me anyway? Even- even if you- if you aren't-"

"Real?" Wilbur smiles, "Of course."

_______

The walls splinter and snap.

_______

Tommy knows it's only them left.

In this room.

The world falls apart outside and he can't bring himself to stop it.

Instead he buries himself in his brother's arms.

Wilbur hums a melody under his breath and it makes Tommy's fingers tremble.

"How do you know that?" Tommy whispers.

"Why wouldn't I? It's your favourite, after all," Wilbur replies and Tommy sniffles.

"Can- can you sing it? I promise I'll let you go. I'll let everyone go, so- so-" He croaks wetly, "So can you sing it one last time? Before I go to sleep."

"Of course, Toms," Wilbur smiles into the teenager's hair before clearing his throat.

The world outside tears itself apart and Tommy can hear the screams-

"I used to hear a simple song,"

And everything goes quiet.

" That was until you came along," Wilbur sings, voice soft like always, the way it always was and Tommy's heart shakes.

Tommy thinks of childish games and petty fights. He thinks of older brothers and a kind father. He thinks of days spent on the porch, giggling and licking at melting ice-lollies. He thinks of hoodies too big covering his fingers and thinks of clumsily braiding soft hair, littered with colourful clips. He thinks of silly games of heroes and villains with makeshift capes and wooden swords.

Tommy thinks of cuts patched up gently with warm hands and he thinks of a familiar guitar being strummed.

" Now in its place is something new."

"I hear it when I look at you," Tommy sings, voice quivering as he weeps.

If Tommy listens carefully, if he focuses hard enough, he can hear a third voice that joins theirs. It's soft and light. If Tommy focuses hard enough, he can remember that voice singing him to sleep.

______

The sky collapses.

______

"And now I hear," Wilbur pauses, voice quiet.

The world is silent. Tommy is quiet too, eyes dulled with exhaustion, tears falling. He clutches at his brother's sweater and tries to remember this, remember this moment and keep it there.

He wants to rewind. To reset the tape to the beginning. To loop it, over and over. A perpetually scratched record, destined to repeat this scene and this scene only.

Tommy tries, but the record plays on. He can't move back, can't restart it. So he relishes in it, clutches his brother a little tighter and lets the melody come to an end.

"A sym-phon-y," They sing together.

A final duet.

______

The world ends with a song.

It ends with a little boy curled in his brother's lap, clothes far too big and a heart far too wide.

______

Tommy lets his eyes fall shut.

" Are you ready, sunshine?"

Tommy feels the world beneath his fingertips, feels the pulse of this tiny universe thrum on his skin and lets it slip from his grasp.