Things That Need To Pass (passerine!Technoblade x OC) {COMPLETED}

"Hello..?"

(3rd person POV)

His hand closed around his son's wrist, ending his weapon's violent arc a hair's breadth away Techno's still chest. The father and his heir kneeled on opposite sides of the blood god, the dagger trembling between them as they fought for dominance:

Wilbur to push and wound, Philza to seize and protect.

Wilbur raised his severe glare at the disruption. "You were not meant to be here," he growled, the words not his own.

"But I am," Philza said quietly, tightening his hold on Wilbur. "Drop the dagger, Wil."

Wilbur's eyebrows furrowed as he pushed harder against Philza. "You should hate him," Wilbur drawled. "He brought Tommy to that battlefield. The man that killed Tommy meant to kill him. You should hate him," he repeated more strongly, a hint of emotion final creeping into his voice.

Was it anger? Was it grief? Was there a difference?

Between them, Techno took a rattling breath, but did not speak.

"Do you?" Philza asked gently. "Do you hate him, Wilbur?"

"Yes," Wilbur said. And then, quieter, "No." He closed his eyes suddenly, as if in pain. "What I mean—no. He killed my brother. But I killed my brother, too. We all killed him, the three of us. All of us are at fault."

When he opened his eyes again, they shone with tears. "But if I kill you, too, then who will be left to forgive me?"

"Yourself," Philza replied, slowly inching the dagger up and away from Techno. And Wilbur let him. "You can forgive yourself, Wilbur, because I already forgive you. No matter what you do to me."

"You don't mean that," Wilbur said gravely. "You can't mean that."

In response, Philza tenderly raised Wilbur's hand towards his chest, until the dagger's point rested over where his heart hid beating. "Let me prove it, then."

For a moment, Wilbur only looked at him, his hand trembling in Philza's hold. And then he said, "He's in my head." His grip tightened around the hilt as warm tears spilled over his pale cheeks. "He's everywhere." He began pushing the blade forwards. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Philza smiled sadly as the dagger's sharp point found skin and drew blood. "This isn't your fault. It will never be your fault." Blood bloomed and spilled over, like the roots of a plant breaking past its inadequate vase, but the pain of it was secondary.

With his son pushing a dagger into his heart, Philza said, "I will love you forever."

Wilbur's expression crumpled. "Father," he gasped, and dropped the dagger.

Before it could fall into the snow, Techno was rising to his knees, his arms going around Wilbur. He pulled the mortal king into a tight embrace, and Philza for the first time saw the wound in his back. Techno had gotten worse injuries, Philza knew, but this was different.

It must hurt like hell to even breathe with it, but Techno held on to Wilbur regardless, as if letting go was a fate worse than death. Wilbur, in turn, buried his face into Techno's bloody shoulder, his own arms slack at his sides as he fell apart.

He gave a strangled gasp, and then was crying in earnest, trembling with the force of his misery.

Philza's heart cracked just a little bit more at the sound.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," Wilbur whispered, his words muffled against Techno's hair and interrupted every syllable by sobs that came from deep within him. "I'm sorry for everything."