When you went down in the mines, you were expecting to be alone with your thoughts.
And you were, for a good five minutes, before someone else shuffled down the winding stone steps.
The pink hair was tell tale to who it was, as was the mask, and to your chagrin, Techno started following you around in the mines, unprompted, and ducking his head to fit in the smaller sized holes you had dug.
You didn't say anything to him when he first arrived.
He didn't say anything either.
So you both just silently walked in each other's presence. Techno watching, and occasionally digging the ceiling out a bit more to accommodate for his height.
You focused solely on mining, digging and digging, and stuffing every material you found into your bag.
It was very distracting to feel his looming presence behind you, but you sucked it up.
You didn't feel like talking.
Flicking your head backwards you glanced at him. Mask covering his face and leaving him unreadable.
The eery torch lights that lit up the tunnel did nothing to make the area feel like anything other then dark and dreary.
Huffing, you turned back around and kept mining.
Mining and mining, until your pickaxe just kinda- snapped.
It was iron- so it was expected. But you grunted in disappointment when you looked down at the snapped peice of pickaxe.
You had to head back to grab another, because dumb you decided to only bring one pick.
Looking at the way back was impossible though. Technoblade's figure filled the hallway, and was very conveniently in the way. You glanced at him and did the reasonable thing.
You went head first into the side of his cape to try and worm your way past.
"Heh..?" Techno let out a noise of surprise, jumping at the contact- before pulling himself to the side as much as he could to let you pass.
You took a step past him struggling to get his cape off you.
That ended in you walking, cape on top of your head, and your continued walking until it dropped off of you, not at all stopping for a second to see what Techno was doing.
Your mission was mining. Your objective was to stop your negative thoughts.
You couldn't wait around for Techno to be a roadblock.
The footsteps behind you told you he was back to following, and you could only struggle to not roll your eyes.
Whatever.
He could waste time down here if he wanted to.
Back at the beginning of the mine, you dug around in a chest, grabbing several pickaxes, and chugging right back into the stone hallway.
Techno had room this time, and gracefully moved his figure of the way to let you steam roll through.
More mining happened, farther and farther, until one of your pickaxes snapped, just like the last one.
And then another one snapped.
And a third.
Your bag was getting so full you threw out all the stone you got, and settled for only the important stuff.
And finally- after a good twenty to thirty minutes, your last pick snapped, and you dropped it on the floor to turn back around.
This time Techno realized what you were gonna do, and when you went to headbutt through the side of his cape, he held a hand there and caught your forehead with his hand.
Holy shit.
His hand was so warm.
With a gentle push, he moved you back up straight and looked you dead on, "Rather then watch you run back the miles we just walked, I'm gonna spare you the trouble." The hand that wasn't still on your head pulled out a netherite pickaxe, "Here- use it, and you'd better give it back."
Rather then respond you squinted at him through the slits of his fingers, "Why is your hand so warm." Your mumbling lips brushed the calluses on his hands, rough skin retracting the moment you spoke.
His hand retreated like it had been burned and he held the pickaxe a little farther out for you to take, "You're very cold." Was his response.
When you didn't respond, he motioned to the pickaxe again, and you rolled your eyes before gently taking it from his hand.
Netherite was heavier then iron.
You should know that, but it was still a surprise when your hand dropped the moment Techno let go of the handle.
His lips pursed when he saw that and you could see him contemplating taking it back, but you waved a hand at him, "I'm good- just had to adjust."
"Uh huh. I believe you very much."
Huffing, you turn back and keep mining.
Turns out netherite was very efficient. That or the fact that it was enchanted made it crumble stone the minute it touched down.
"Thanks." You mumbled after absolutely decimating a good few yards of stone.
He just hummed at your thanks. Still following for God knows why, footfall after footfall, stone after stone, resources after resource.
It took even more mining for him to finally ask you something.
You grimaced the moment he opened his mouth.
And it wasn't that you didn't want to converse with him, but you definitely weren't in the right mindset for questions, and prayed to whatever god that you could give level headed answers the moment he said, "Y'know, your the one always asking me questions. I never ask you questions."
Pausing in your onslaught of stone murder, you don't look behind you to ask, "And?"
"I think I should ask you something."
"Okay...?" You draw out turning back around and digging again, letting him follow you as he talked.
"Well- my first question is what you think of anarchy."
Is this in reference to the fact that Wilbur wants to completely destroy 'Manberg?
If it is, you have a lot to say about that.
If it's about anarchy in theory, not as much.
"Well..." you started off, "Anarchy is definitely a good thought. Just being free- not really conforming to any sort of rules. I like it."
Techno went to say something but you continued.
"But I think completely eradicated a city off the map is very excessive. Why do it other then to kill people for the sake of killing?"
Whatever Techno was going to say didn't come out, and he instead went silent again.
Your answer sunk into the air.
"So your the kind of anarchist who just... doesnt want anything to do with anyone?"
You hummed. Pretty much.
"Yeah- I suppose. That's kinda what I was doing in my little cottage before everyone started wanting neutral people to choose sides."
Mining a bit farther, you paused, pulling the pickaxe firmly in you grip before continuing to mine.
"Why did you join then?"
"Lonely." Was all you replied with.
Techno was silent again, and it seemed to take a bit before he chugged back up with, "Interesting."
Interesting. What a thought.
Swinging the pickaxe down with a particularly hefty slam, you were met with blinding light.
The next peice of stone you smacked had lava directly under it, and without a thought you accidentally walked right into it.
Or well you would've. A hand lurched out, snatching you by the scruff of your shirt, one of your feet on firm stone, the other dipped into the lava.
Techno seemed to realize that fact, harshly tugging you backward to get your foot out of it. You fell into his chest, a bit disoriented from getting jerked around, but blearily looking down at your foot to see your shoe had burned off. As did your sock.
Great.
Now you'd have to get a new one.
"Heh...?" Techno looked down, clearly expecting a burning foot and melting skin, but flinched when you were completely fine.
"Tommy said your from the nether, right?"
"Uuh- yeah."
"Oh." Without farther ado, he set you on your own two feet, awkwardly shuffing back to where he used to be standing, "What are you?"
You just shot him a look.
You didn't want to disclose that, and he knew it.
Huffing at the look you gave him he shrugged and asked, "Why do you not want people to know what you are? Battle advantage?"
"Personal reasons."
He grumbled at that, "I think I'm starting to see a pattern."
"Good for you." Turning back around, you hold his pickaxe out, "Here- I don't need your pickaxe."
Unsurely, he took it back, tucking it into his bag as efficiently as he could before giving you a long look, "You- you keep doing this thing that makes you very suspicious- the whole hide your past thing."
"And?" You rose an eyebrow, "You practically do the same thing, mister 'too cool for emotions'."
Both of you huffed at each other.
God's. Maybe you're more similar then you thought.
Stubborn-
Stubborn as all get out.
You couldn't take being here anymore, strutting forward to worm past him, but pausing when he moved to block your exit.
"I'm leaving. Move."
He didn't respond, skull mask's covered in the shadow you cast, heat from the lava blanketing your back.
"Are you dangerous?" He asked, completely serious, dead set.
"Move."
"... Everytime violence comes up you act like you've already experienced it." His figure puffed up a bit more, "Are you dangerous."
"If you don't move I will hug you."
Any sort of shifting his figure had been doing completely halted, "Heh..?"
"You heard me. I will hug you, you animotophobia bearing prick-"
He didn't say anything, and he didn't move either, so you lurched forward and firmly wrapped your arms around his abdomen, his arms left out of the hug and left to stay awkwardly stiff in the air.
"Uuh-"
"Let me through- or I won't move."
"UUUUuuuUhh-"
The vibrations of his voice resounded against his chest, and you practically sunk into just how warm he was.
Holy shit.
Was he supposed to be this warm?
You were supposed to be threatening him with this hug, not sinking into it.
He was so unbelievably stiff in your arms, and he was so settled on hating sentimental stuff that he just- didn't at all react to you- still looking down at you with his teeth clenched.
Contrary to what you thought, and contrary to his own thoughts- the voices in his head were running circles- so unbelievably loud, and shouting demands directly in his ear.
TECHNOSOFT TECHNOSOFT TECHNOSOFT
THEY'RE HUGGING-
WHAT A SIMP
SIMP SIMP
E
SIMP
He couldn't hear anything other then the voices, he had to fight so hard just to focus his vision and take in your smaller figure nestled at the base of his chest. Your burning eyes looked up at him and said something else but he couldn't focus.
SIMP
HUG HER BACK-
HUG HUG
EEEE
How hard would you have to squeeze her to kill her?
WRAP HER IN YOUR CAPE AND PRETEND SHE'S BATMAN
MMMM HUG
FUCKING HUG HER- BURY HER
IS SHE TECHNOSOFT'S HUG BUDDY??
"So help me Techno." You growl, and his hands twitch, still awkwardly being held out in the air.
The shifting of your figure wrapping tighter around him snapped him back into the moment, "If you don't let me pass, I'm gonna start asking you how your day was."
At that- he couldn't help but laugh, a half strangled one that fought between being embarrassed and the fact that you were poking him for being so closed off-
His laugh surprised you, any seriousness melting away as the laugh in his chest rumbled under you.
With a swoop of his hands, he awkwardly half wrapped his hands around you before giving you a squeeze and saying, "Whatever- keep your lore a secret."
He released, you released, and you scrambled to get past him- completely and utterly shook by the fact that you just threatened Techno with a hug- to which you then followed through with, to which Techno returned and then dropped trying to interrogate you.
What- the actual fuck.
Your face was burning for absolutely no reason- and you can't belive you just- sunk into that hug for no reason?? Like genuinely started it as a threat and then- was completely ready to just stay there??
Holy shit.
Grabbing your pocket watch, you looked at the time- taken aback by how late it was- you spent your entire day down here. And your night too apparently.
It was early morning- and people would be waking up in an hour or two.
Shit...
Rushing back upstairs- you failed to really take in Techno. Who was still standing where he let you pass, ears burning up and voices screeching in his head.
Too many voices.