𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄. ranboo (complete)

𝐗𝐈𝐗. BROTHERS

❝ PRETTY FACE ❞
March 3rd, 2021

REAL LIFE — THEO!

THE PATTON HOUSEHOLD WAS QUIET. This wasn't the most unusual thing in the world — Techno and Theo were both introverts whose jobs consisted of sitting at a desk and playing video games with headphones on and soundproof padding in their rooms so they didn't disturb their neighbors (or each other, when Tommy, Tubbo, and Theo got just a bit too rowdy during a call).

But it was unusual for Techno and Theo to be interacting less and less. To be fair, Theo spent most of his days in his room now, ever since his last failed meet-up with Ranboo due to Harriet making her grand exit from his life. The topic of Harriet, of being groomed and abused, outed against his will, stalked — everything that came with knowing Harriet Walker, really — had been looming over both of their heads.

Theo knew that Techno wanted to talk to him about it, especially now that she was dead, but with neither of them willing to bring it up, their words went unsaid and their interactions became less and less.

Theo couldn't have that. 

Techno was the only family he had left. Theo would be damned if he let him slip away too.

Theo peeked out of his room quietly, spotting Techno sitting on the living room sofa, laptop open and on the small side-table he'd bought when they'd first moved in. He was typing away, laser-focused on whatever he was currently doing; figuring it wasn't more important than him, Theo waltzed over and sat down at the other end of the couch, reaching over to take the bag of chips that Techno was consuming faster than Theo was growing.

Which, honestly, wasn't much.

"You could have said please," Techno told him, not even glancing up from the screen, but Theo knew that the older wasn't bad at him. "What's up?"

"We need to talk," Theo blurted before he could lose his nerve.

Techno paused, glancing at Theo out of the corner of his eye before he nodded, closing his laptop and setting it aside as he turned to look at Theo.

Theo couldn't speak.

"Guess I'll start then," Techno sighed. Theo nodded quietly, grateful that Techno always knew what to say. "First of all, Harriet was charged with breaking and entering, stalking, attempted assault of a minor, and some other stuff, but they obviously can't arrest her. They're just putting the charges to her name," Techno explained. "And it doesn't seem like anyone in her family is going to fight against it, so . . ."

". . . So that's it, then. She's gone," Theo murmured.

"Yeah." Techno gave him a once over; Theo adverted his gaze. "How does that make you feel?"

". . . I'm relieved," Theo admitted. "She can't ruin my life anymore or make me feel unsafe in my own home." He picked at the skin around his knuckles, frowning. "But . . . she was my best friend, you know? So I feel sad, too. We had some really great times together, I— I really trusted her, and it's hard to remember that she was just manipulating me."

Techno listened to him, but it didn't seem like he understood what Theo was saying. Theo couldn't blame him at all — Techno didn't know what Theo was going through, not really. He shouldn't expect him to. Honestly, Theo didn't want him to — he didn't want Techno to go through what he had gone through. It wasn't something he would wish on his worst enemy.