"Oh, yeah, the-- the fucking ghost, who cares-- Man, you rebuilt this! Bro, you-- Fuck a grave! I was so pressed about not having a grave. Screw a grave! I built something that you-- that you love! That you, that you wanted to preserve! That’s… Tubbo, that’s worth more to me than a grave. That’s worth more to me than this shrine. Tubbo, this is probably the best gift I’ve ever been given. Just this knowledge, that you actually cared enough to rebuild this community after it fell."

"Oh. I'm... glad you're happy."

"--I'm sorry. Oh, man. Tubbo, thank you."

"It’s alright, I’ve just-- I feel lost without L’Manberg. All my core beliefs, everything, died with it. I have no purpose anymore."

"I guess that’s where anarchy fails." Wilbur sighs and turns to face Tubbo and walk towards him again; the distance that Tubbo had put between them while Wilbur was distracted is closed again in a few sentences. "Tubbo, I have a little--a little thing going. It’s not big, it’s nothing much yet, y’know. It’s just-- it’s not a big deal, y’know, it’s a, it’s a little burger van at the moment. But I’ve got big plans, big plans for it." He reaches face-to-face with Tubbo and then moves so he's on higher ground than Tubbo. Again. "Tubbo, would-- It’s called Paradise. I was wondering, do you-- Would you like to come join me? In- in Paradise? Literally."

He moves as soon as Wilbur's moving but he can't actually feasibly get between them without picking a big visible fight that Tubbo doesn't want picked, he can't say anything without picking a big visible fight that Tubbo doesn't want picked. 

Well. If Tubbo says yes, he'll just have to be there. He's already here to keep an eye on things, he reasons, it won't be that much harder— 

"Hm… I’d-- I’m not sure, Wilbur. I’m, I’m not sure I trust you, man. I need to… In order to follow someone, I need to trust them."

"Wait. Wait. But you-- I thought you forgave me!"

"Yeah, Wilbur, I forgive you, because I like to… hang on to the hope that people can change. But-- I don't trust you yet, Wilbur."

"Okay… Well, Tubbo, I’ve literally-- I was dead for thirteen years. I know it wasn’t long for you! I know it was only a couple months for you but-- Thirteen years, Tubbo…! Thirteen years of my life…! Look at me! I’m not, I’m not the same man you knew! I’ve, I’ve been through it, and in those thirteen years, Tubbo, I wasn’t just sat--twiddling my thumbs going, oooh! this is nice! I’m in darkness right now! You know? I was, I was thinking! I relived that explosion in my head so many times, man, and, and, and I... I get that you don’t, you don’t trust me, I, I do, but like… man. Look at me, bro! I’m not gonna do it again! I’m not gonna, I’m not gonna hurt you again. I’m not gonna, you know-- I know you, you had that-- at the festival? With Technoblade? I’ve never spoken to you properly about this. I-- I could have saved you."

"...But you didn't."

Wilbur drops to his knees again. "I kn-- Tubbo, I’m-- I’m reaching out to you here, man, I’m, I’m on my knees, bro, like… I-- I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry, and I literally, your forgiveness means so much to me, but it doesn’t-- give up what I did to you, and it doesn’t give up how I failed you as a, as a friend, you know, as a--I mean, fuck, being as a co-worker but just, y’know, anything, and--Ranboo, you might’ve not known all of this, I’m really sorry if this is your first time hearing, I can explain later on, but like--Tubbo, like, man, I’m... I wanna make it up to you, and you know what? I appreciate that you don’t trust me yet. I do." He stands up, puts himself back on level ground with Tubbo.

"Wilbur, in order for you to gain my trust back, you have to prove it first. I can’t just give it out anymore. I used to be able to, but I just-- I just can't."

Wilbur takes a few steps back, out of Tubbo's space. "Tubbo, I really appreciate it, and I mean that, genuinely. I appreciate it, and I’m gonna go out, and I’m gonna, I’m gonna prove to you that I’m worth being trusted again. I promise. I'll do it! I'll redeem myself! And you'll--"

"You know I still have dreams, right? Of the explosion. And of the fireworks. And-- and all of it. I still-- I vividly see all of it, every day. It hurts, Wilbur."

"I'm--Tubbo, Tubbo, I know, I know--Tubbo, Tubbo, Tubbo, please, I know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I--sorry, feels like such a weak word, I feel like there's nothing stronger that I can say. And I, and I understand what you mean, about how my actions need to reflect it, and they will. Give me time. I'm going to--I'm going to make something of this.

Tubbo, do you know how fucking strong you are? And I’m not just trying to say this, I’ve already-- I’ve got your forgiveness, and I know I need to earn your trust, but, man, I just wanna let you know I... You’re so strong, man. Genuinely. You-- Just, just the fact that you proved to me just there that you, you have these memories, you have these nightmares, and you still found it in your heart to forgive me, that’s... You’re a fucking champion, man. You’re a, you’re a hero. Look, I get that you don’t want to join me in Paradise. We won’t talk about it anymore, but… come on. At least come and see! Come and see what me and Ranboo and Q have done! Look, I don’t know-- Ranboo, are you-- Are you and Tubbo friends?"

"Um........yeah. Yeah, I'd say so." Small nod.

"Yeah, well why don’t you come and-- you know, come and see what I’ve made, come and see what I’ve got going on, at least! Come on man, let’s go! Let's go, Ranboo, Q, Tubbo--"

"I think I'm gonna... stay here, Wilbur. I think I'm more-- I'm fine just to stay here." His voice shakes, on the last sentence.

"Hey, man, no worries. Look at me, bro! Chin up! Look, lucky rabbit's foot! Tommy gave this to me, man. Lucky rabbit's foot, man, chin up. Come on, I'll-- Ranboo, Q, you can come, man, it's cool! Let's, let's go."

Ranboo hangs around while Wilbur bounds off, approaches Tubbo slowly.

"You need me to stay here?"

"No, I'd--I'd like to be left alone, please." It's the most audibly emotional Q has heard Tubbo in--not ever, but really damn close.

God. Tubbo wasn't that shaky the day he woke up in the hospital. 

He almost, almost, pauses to apologize. But Tubbo doesn't want to hear it, he's pretty sure, doesn't know him, definitely doesn't want a stranger seeing him like this longer than necessary.

"...Okay. —C'mon, let's go."

"...Are you sure? I mean I can-- I can stay."

"Yes."