This was a strange morning.
Eyes open- head straight- you were sitting outside, and staring into the woods.
For no reason.
Or maybe there was a reason.
You noticed a figure standing there earlier, and here you were.
Sitting, staring, praying that whatever was out there was carrying good intent. You don't know why you were so patiently waiting for it, but you really feel you could wait the entire day.
It was silhouetted in the darkness, shifting to and from the edges of the woods, but never quite fully exiting.
The fuzzy edges of your vision kept spiking.
Like something was behind you, and your brain was warning you.
But that was fear.
You were being irrational.
Nothing could be behind you.
You had to coax the figure.
Had to somehow make it show itself.
So what better way then a wave?
You waved, watching the figure still. Right on the edge. Just out of sight. Big, and imposing, and nearly as tall as the trees- with gleaming teeth and arching horns and spikes.
Come on.
It could do it.
Why was it so scared?
You called out to it- another simple 'hello' and wave- and finally, it gave in.
The first shadowed limb slipped out of the woods, significantly getting smaller- turning into a boot.
Then the second limb came out, yet another boot. As the shadow passed the tree line, all the was left was a person.
Techno.
Good ol' familiar Techno taking slow, careful steps toward you, stopping as he reached you, towering over your sitting form.
You waved again.
And when he didn't do anything other then stare, you waved him farther down.
He stooped to your level in a crouch, face cautious as he stared at you. Unsure as to if he should trust you, but following what you asked of him regardless.
"It's okay." You say, "It's nice and open out here."
To which Techno huffs- red eyes finally closing, tension sagging off his form as your hands reached up to hold either side of his face.
A soft soul- scars brittle and tough.
You ran your thumbs over his eyebrows, touching and palming at facial features.
A crack sounded behind you.
Techno's eyes snapped open, desperately searching for something-
He felt...off...
Something about him was just- wrong.
From the eyes to nose to mouth, to the scar down his eye and across his nose- to the tusks- he wasn't Techno.
You were shocked to watch as his.... his face started pulling apart.
Skin sizzling- peeling, pulling, flesh gooping and loosing form.
Almost as though acid was dumped on him- he melted- nothing left of him-
You stared at where he used to be- your vision spiking with fuzz yet again.
Another CRACK- of splitting trees- or bone- or something loud sounded out behind you- when an overwhelming pressure squeezed your ribs.
Claws dug into your sternum- you were winded- and your vision was all fuzz-
Something gleaming peered at you in your peripheral vision, but you couldn't move your head.
You couldn't.
You couldn't.
Something behind you spoke.
A deep growl of prickling bitterness.
"...You aren't what you used to be..."
..
..
All at once you awoke.
Chest heaving- eyes wide open and staring at nothing but fabric.
You were pressed against the blankets- and you felt trapped- wriggling your limbs everywhere to try and get out-
You shoved your hands against the fabric closest to you- freezing when you realized it didn't move.
What?
Are you still dreaming? Is this some kind of bed that's suffocating you alive?
Something glided up your back- settling near your shoulder blades, and the fabric in front of you curled towards you.
Deep breath in-
Deep breathe out.
You weren't dying.
You were alive.
And...
You glance to the side, seeing the wood ceiling of Techno's attic.
And you were in Techno's house.
Which meant...
You look up.
Techno's bleary eyes were just starting to blink open- staring down at you with a muted red. He looked dead, eyes barely open and so unfocused you weren't even sure he was lucid.
"....You good??" He croaks out- voice hoarse. The warmth that was seeping off of him was sinking into you in every way it could.
You just now realized you had been- still are- pressed into his chest- body flush against him as one of his arms was slung around you.
How were you supposed to reply to a question like that??
No?
You weren't doing okay?
Because you weren't.
You just watched dream Techno melt, and then got suffocated by a massive hand or claw- and-
Ssssss- fuck.
You didn't feel good.
In a soft, and confused voice you replied, "...no...?" So quiet, because you didn't want to be heard. You didn't want to let him know that some dumb dream made your whole world shake.
He blinks a few times- eyes becoming more aware.
"...'S'okay if I pry?" He softly says in return, voice still muddled with sleep.
You can almost hear the echo of when you first met him, of how resistant both of you were to prying.
How neither of you wanted to be seen or see each other.
And yet Techno's right here.
Patiently waiting for the okay from you to confide in him.
"Just a nightmare." You say, more shakily then you wanted to say it, but it came out of your mouth regardless.
His hands pull you farther into him, ducking your head to his chest and letting you avoid eye contact.
You curled into him, your hands grabbing at his shirt and gently thumbing at the soft fabric.
You didn't want to say anything.
You didn't want to talk, because right now, all you wanted was whatever this strange and tentative friendship was between the two of you.
You wanted to sit here in bed and feel a little less alone in the world.
Techno didn't ask anymore, and you didn't say anymore, so the both of you just sat there.
A warm cocoon of limbs and heat.
You didn't care at the moment, if this was weird. It just felt good.
You shuffled closer, nestling farther into his chest, to which Techno responded by running a hand through your hair. A familiar popping noise started up, echoing in his chest.
You shivered at the feeling.
He's never done that before. Ran a hand through your hair.
No one has really, at least not that gently.
You don't know if that's a good or bad thought, but it felt nice.
You could almost go back to sleep.
A warm encompassing figure, gentle purring, someone you trust, only good thoughts chugging in your head- the list could go on as to why you felt so comfortable.
You...
Were falling asleep...
Clearly falling enough into sleep to not hear anything until you feel Techno shift- harshly whispering something to someone and swatting an arm out at something.
A grumble in his chest, voice trying its best to be soft with you pressed against him, but failing as aggravation was seeping through.
It takes you a bit to actually hear words.
But when you do, the first thing you hear is Techno.
"Tommy- I won't repeat myself. Scram."
"BITCH NO. I'M LOOKING FOR ENTERTAINMENT, AND YOU'RE GONNA GIVE IT TO ME."
The sleep was shaken from you at how loud the other voice was.
Clearly Tommy.
Very, very clearly Tommy.
It was silent for a moment, which you can assume they were eyeing each other. A stare down of wills, which Tommy broke first with a question, "Where'd you-know-who go anyways? Not that I really want to know..."
Was Tommy talking about you?
He sounded... like he was trying his best to be nonchalant.
"Obviously sleeping like a normal person does." Techno replies. Which is true. Absolutely true. But now you also realize that Tommy hasn't spotted you, pressed into Techno, covered in blankets, and very, very much awake now.
"Yeah but where." Tommy immediately responds. Still acting nonchalant about it.
You can feel the action of Techno rolling his eyes, "Literally non of your business." He grumbles out.
"Yeah but it is." Tommy responds immediately again.
"Yeah but why." Techno counters.
Another silence.
One that you couldn't tell what they were doing, but you had to assume they were staring each other down again.
"HAH-" Techno let's out a laugh, "What a loooserrr- being attached to someone is such a nerd thing to do-"
Clearly you're lacking a context clue- did Tommy make a face of some sort??
"SHUT THE FUCK UP-" Tommy yells in embarrassment, yanking what sounded like a pillow off the bed before whapping Techno in the face with it, "NOOO- NO. NO." Each time he said no the the pillow whacked Techno over the head, to which Techno struggled to fight off the barrage without disturbing you.
Clearly you had missed an important context clue.
"Wow. You're not fighting back- this is a surprise." Tommy says, then makes this vicious little giggling noise and starts whacking Techno with the pillow again, "HAAHAHA- YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE BITCH-"
"Tommy- no- you don't understand-" the pillow beats Techno over the head for a solid three more times before Techno groans the most annoyed noise you've heard come out of him, "You brought this on yourself child-"
With that, Techno finally defends himself, leaving you by yourself on the bed in favor of jumping up and wrenching the pillow out of Tommy's grabby hands.
You had a perfect view to everything now that you weren't buried in Technos chest. You got to watch as Techno slammed the pillow down on Tommy's mop of blonde hair- to which he yelled a scream with raw fear.
Tommy got hit a few more times- once on the shoulder and another on the head- before he made eye contact with you. You with your dumbfounded and still sleepy, but wide eyes that were staring at him with all the chaos.
Tommy yelled even louder, rapidly looking from you and to Techno (who was getting even closer to Tommy the longer he lingered.)
"WHAT THE FUCK-" Tommy yelled, while Techno proceeded to chase him down the ladder, "AAAAAAAHH-" downstairs you heard the muffled noise of Tommy yelling, "GROSS YOU DUMB SHIT- oH. MY GOOOODD-"
A few more dull thumps and even more yelling, "OOUUUCHHH- YOU STUPID COCKSUCKER- PUSSY SHIT- STOP SMACKING ME WITH YOUR GROSS DROOL PILLOW-"
Techno says something, but he's much quieter then Tommy so you can't tell what he says.
The yelling keeps going on for a good while, insult after insult, something getting knocked off of something, the sound of a potion hitting the ceiling- skittering feet followed by a much heavier set of thumping footsteps.
You laughed.
What the hell.
What a way to wake up.
Without Techno in the bed, it was way colder then it should have been, which meant no one started the fire.
Even if you wanted to go to sleep, you couldn't. Too cold, too loud.
So instead, you swing your feet over the edge of the bed and decide to make your way downstairs.
The yelling has quieted.
Suspicious.
Climbing down the ladder is swift, each rung of the wood creaking in the now calm house, and when you turn around to see what happened, you catch sight of Tommy pouting in a corner, angry eyes refusing to look away from the wall.
You laugh, then look at Techno. He looked flustered, braided hair a mess from sleep, but still attempting to clean up all the glass shards of a broken potion bottle.
"What in the world actually happened down here." You ask, eyes flickering between Techno and Tommy.
Techno is the first to reply, "I was tryna let you sleep, and Tommy was a big loud mouth."
"WAS NOT-" Tommy whips around, shooting his angry stare at Techno.
"Uh huh." Techno rose an eyebrow, "And beating me over the head with a pillow and yelling wasn't being a loud mouth?"
"That was justified. You wouldn't give me a straight answer." Tommy stuck his nose on the air.
"So throwing a slow fall potion at me and having it shatter all over the ceiling was?"
"OH. MY. GOD. TECHNO IS SO STUPID. AND. DUMB."
Technoblade makes eye contact with you, throwing his hands in Tommy's direction and huffing loudly.
To which Tommy loudly and mockingly laughs at his frustration, "You're just mad because I cockblocked you and you're weird alone time with (Y/N)-"
Techno makes a grimace, glaring at Tommy, even more flustered then when you first came down the ladder.
"Tommy. Tommy so help me-" he says.
"TECHNO AND (Y/N) SITTING IN A TREE, K-I---eskACK-"
Techno was yanking him into the air by the neck of his shirt faster then you thought was possible, dangling him there for a second before making a straight path for the trap door, "Tommy- You absolute-... Tommy you're going to double time out, because clearly you aren't mature enough for regular time out."
Tommy proceeds to yell even more and wriggle around in the air violently.
Okay.
You need to interrupt whatever... moment this is.
"Alright- okay- I think that's enough from you guys."
They both freeze at your interruption. A pair of red and blue eyes both locked onto you.
The floor is yours.
You gesture at Tommy, "Techno- put Tommy down." You raise an eyebrow at Tommy, "Tommy- stop being a brat to Techno."
Techno goes to say something, but you speak first, "I had enough sleep, I didn't mind that Tommy was being a loud mouth."
Tommy goes to laugh at Techno, to which you cut him off, "Laughing right now is a bitch move. You know Techno's irritated at you."
"ᴵᵗ'ᵈ ᵇᵉ ᵖʳᵉᵗᵗʸ ᶠᵘⁿⁿʸ ᵗʰᵒᵘᵍʰ..." Tommy says- but you ignore him to instead look at Techno again.
He looked like a wild animal with prey just between his jaws. He caught it fair and square, he gets to deal with it fair and square.
All he had to do was close his mouth and he'd kill his catch, yet you're asking him to just- let it go.
To let Tommy off the hook.
He really doesn't want to.
You know he doesn't, because he looks flustered and embarrassed from Tommy being Tommy, and angry that he didn't get to keep your sleeping time from being interrupted. Which was sweet, but you honestly didn't care too much that you'd been awoken.
Techno looked from you, to Tommy, and then back again.
Then his hand released, unceremoniously letting Tommy drop to the floor.
Not that Tommy fell hard, light bones and all, but to the floor nonetheless.
You nodded with a smile, "Thank you for the civility."
Techno huffed, but didn't say anything to your statement.
"Ouch." Tommy says.
To which you then notice that Tommy was dropped on some of the glass shards from the potion, and now there's a new problem to fuss about.
"Oh shit- get up get up-" you reach for Tommy, pulling him off the floor and away from the shards.
You almost forgot how light and easy to pull he was.
"Did the shards dig into you at all? Any cuts??"
Tommy purses his lips, "Nah. I'm too tough to get cut."
"Uh-huh." You reply not believing him and checking his hands, "Well your hands are good."
You double glance over him, seeing if anything was sparkling or bloody, which true to his word, he wasn't scratched.
Good.
"And you doubted me." He grins.
"For good reason." Techno chimes in.
Tommy shoves a middle finger out in Techno's direction, which you grab and push down as soon as it pops out.
"Civility." You repeat, squinting at Tommy.
Finally, everything felt settled. Tommy's good, Techno's good, all that was left to do was properly start the day.
"You take care of Carl yet?" You ask Techno, to which he shakes his head no, "Alright. Techno, you got Carl, Tommy, you're on glass cleanup duty, and I'm on fire duty."
"Reasonable." Techno says, already making his way to the door, gathering what he needed to walk out.
You looked at Tommy, who had a disgruntled expression bared at you.
"What?" You ask.
He doesn't reply, instead ambling off to dig through some chest. Probably to find stuff that will clean the glass up without ripping up his hands... that or he's just gone to steal more stuff...
Something heavy is thrown over you before you can give Tommy much more thought, and when you turn to look at what and who did it, you see Techno, bone mask secured, boots and coat on.
He shot you a grin, "Gonna need something hefty to keep ya warm. Got it for ya awhile ago, but never had a good chance to give it to you."
You pull the fabric around you, both putting it on and looking at it at the same time.
A fur cloak, the fluff of the collar bushing out in the same manner as Techno's was, while the rest of the cloak was lined with thick, insulating pelts.
This was sweet.
This was really sweet.
"Aw-" you look at Techno, "You know my poor soul can't handle gifts with thought put into them-"
"Too bad." He says, pulling the bone mask farther over his face before turning around and walking out the door.
You wanted to prod him farther, but you supposed that could wait for a different time. One where he wasn't as guarded because of Tommy.
Because yes. You immediately noticed how much more closed up he became with Tommy in the room.
Regardless, you felt soft.
A nice cloak.
All yours to wear.
The stitching on it felt nice. Very well put together.
You turn to Tommy, eyeing him for a moment.
"I'll be back in a bit." You say, grabbing an iron axe and heading for the door.
Tommy didn't bother with a reply, rolling his eyes and continuing to rummage through the chest.
When you step outside, the sheer chill shakes you. So, so cold. You don't understand how it can get this cold.
But regardless of the want to go back inside, you continue forward. Down the steps, following the footsteps of Techno before veering off towards the woods (where unfortunately, there were no Techno steps to follow.)
The snow was deep, which made trudging through it awful, but it wasn't snowing, which meant you had a clear view of the forest and house.
You wouldn't get lost.
For a moment you thought of your nightmare. Something hovering along the edges, but you were quick to shake the thought off.
Forward.
Swift chopping and hauling. You aimed for all the dead trees lying on the floor.
At the moment, chopping down a tree was more effort then you were willing to put into this task.
So you busied yourself, bustling to and fro near the edge of the woods, picking up anything you could carry and shoving it in your bag.
When you deemed you had enough, you started your way back to the house, only to freeze at the sight of two extra bodies.
A very, very tall two toned person, that you instantly recognized as Ranboo, and another figure, yellow sweater popping against the white background of snow.
Techno was standing outside, as was Tommy, so you could only guess as to what has them all here.
As you get closer it becomes obvious that Techno's threatening Ranboo, and it also becomes clearer that Tommy is grilling the person in the sweater about something.
You hang back though, intimidated by the large crowd, and content to just shuffle past everyone to get the fire started inside.
"Is that (Y/N)??" The strangly soft voice asks, which has you freezing on your way up the porch steps.
"Yes... who's askin?" You turn around, catching the eyes... blank eyes, of... Wilbur?
"Wilbur??" You ask, before immediately realizing just how translusent he was, "Oh. You're still dead."
He waves at you and your unformal greeting, "Ghostbur, at your service!" He softly says, bowing with a cheeky yet innocent gesture.
His blank eyes squinted with happiness.
You don't remember him ever being this happy.
"I thought you would've hated me or something- why are you so happy?" You ask him.
"Hated? No no no, never!" He almost looks offended, before picking up in cheerfulness as he remembers something else, "You had such good coffee, I could never hate you!"
With that statement, you couldn't help but just blankly stare at him.
Techno was still harassing Ranboo in the background, and Tommy looked like he was brooding with unsaid words, which gave you all the time in the world to stare at the strange ghost of Wilbur.
Deep stab mark through his chest, bleeding blue, grey skin.
He still has the stress lines that Wilbur did, but clearly none of the stress.
That made you wonder as to how and why he didn't have that stress.
Is death really that freeing?
"You massive dick- why didn't you hand out my invites." Tommy barks beside you to Wilbur, before throwing a finger out to Ranboo, "And why didn't you come to my party."
Ghostbur is quick to reply, "I did invite everyone--"
"I can lead you to an ender chest if that will help you." Techno dryly says having a completely different conversation with Ranboo.
Which has Ranboo stuttering for a reply and completely interrupting Tommy and Wilbur.
"You won't kill me if I give you just one?" Ranboo says, bowing his head with a tentative look.
"How many do you have Ranboo."
Tommy buts in before they can answer, shoving at Techno and saying, "Aye Techno- don't speak to these guys-" he sends a glare to Ranboo, "This guy gave me a--"
"Which item is it." Techno asks, not even sparing Tommy a glance.
"Or just continue speaking." Tommy growls.
"I'm getting my stuff back Tommy."
They proceed to talk over each other, both asking Ranboo something, Techno incredibly insistent on getting his armor, and Tommy incredibly insistent on grilling everyone for answers.
You look at Wilbur after Tommy gives an agitated yell, spinning himself around to angrily pace in the snow.
"So Wilbur--" You squint at him, flinching when Tommy paces near you with a huff, "How's being dead?"
You had no idea what to ask a ghost. Do ghosts have normal ghost conversations?
Or normal people conversations?
"It's great! I think. A lot of people miss Wilbur."
"But aren't you Wilbur?" You ask.
"Nope. I'm Ghostbur!" He cheers before passing some blue dye to you, which he sets atop the pile of wood you were carrying, "Have some blue."
Not sure what to say, you watch as Techno led Ranboo into the house. You can still vaguely hear their bargaining.
The implication of 'Ghostbur' not being 'Wilbur' were vast. So many different things that that small sentence alone could mean. Rather then try and grasp that, you ask, "So... You're not Wilbur??"
"Just the ghost of him." He smiles a gentle smile, but you swear he almost looks... insecure...
Something about the way his eyebrows pinched, and his eyes nervously flickered around.
People must compare them often. Which makes sense, this is Wilbur... but not??
Huh.
You were putting too much thought into it, enough that the ghost shifted focus to something else.
Ghostbur blinks, turning a cheeky look to a still brooding Tommy, "Tommy-- Tommy-"
"What."
Ghostbur grins humming aggressively at Tommy, "MmMmMMMmmm--" and then throws some rabbit pelts at him, which Tommy tosses the moment he sees what they are.
"That's not foot."
Ghostbur goes silent, looking off into the distance at something, which Tommy also looks off at. You feel like you missed something, but aren't bothered to figure out what. You really just wanted to bail and hide in the house for a while.
It's so cold outside.
Your eyes drift to exactly where you want to go, catching the door swinging open, a rather happy looking Techno coming out with Ranboo on his heel.
Just as Tommy goes to say something, Techno starts talking.
"It's gonna be symbolic-" he says, trotting down the steps with an excited strut, a single netherite helmet on, diamond armor everywhere else.
So happy.
With a harrumph, Tommy opens his mouth, "Technoblade- please- can you stop- um--... you know-- ᵁʳʳᵐᵐ⁻ ʷᵉˡˡ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ'ˢ ⁿᵒ ⁿⁱᶜᵉ ʷᵃʸ ᵗᵒ ˢᵃʸ ᵗʰⁱˢ⁻- TALKING." Tommy whips around to Ghostbur, leaving Techno awkwardly standing next to you while Tommy kept bouncing subjects, "Wilbur... where have you been for like the past week."
Wilbur tried saying something, but Tommy kept talking, "I had a party, and you were meant to invite everyone- but you didn't invite anyone..."
"..I didn't get an invite.." Techno quietly says to you as the conversation keeps happening, which you muttered a small, 'same' back to him.
Wilbur tried assuring Tommy that he did send out invites, but the boy didn't bother listening, turning to Ranboo and pointing an accusing finger at him, "And you-- you gave me a pickaxe out of pity- a pity pickaxe- a pp-"
"A pity pickaxe??" Ranboo asks, borderline offended. Not at Tommy, more so at the fact that he claimed to understand something he didn't.
"Yeeah." Tommy says.
It felt wrong to listen in on this conversation. The kinda feeling you get when some random person walks up to you and drops their whole life story on you.
With that feeling, you wanted to bail out of the conversation even more then already.
Any excuse.
Any reason.
Please.
"Tommy- you have to realize that you didn't read the last letter that I sent you because-.." Ranboo pushed.
"It wasn't there- you didn't send me a last letter-" Tommy bit back.
"It was there. I did send you a last letter! I put it in the box-"
"It wasn't in the letter chest."
"It was in the letter chest. I dont know what keeps happening to it..." Ranboo let's out a heavy breath, not in frustration. Or anger. Just- a breath, where the panic they had used to defend themself was being released.
You felt tense. Even though you didn't know what had happened, all the raw and distressing emotions made your skin prickle.
You want to help, but this literally isn't your battle to fight.
Tommy stares at Ranboo, an uneasy look in his eye as he tried to make sense of what they said.
"I don't know who keeps trying to-" Ranboo looks at Techno, "Well, I probably do know who keeps trying to-"
"Why you lookin at me??" Techno grumbles clutching the diamond axe a little harder in his hand.
"I was just looking at- I don't know why I looked at you I'm sorry-" Ranboo quickly says.
"Okay, I see, just- includin me. Making some eye contact." Techno nods.
You let out a quiet chuckle, which has Techno turning his eyes down to you with a raised eyebrow.
You raise an eyebrow back before pointing at the house.
Ghostbur was standing in the basement door, looking at everyone before slinking inside.
You look back at Techno, who's squinting at the sight, and immediately making his way to the basement.
The conversation Tommy and Ranboo were having becomes white noise.
You take that as your time to retreat into the house as well, cold taking its toll, and arms starting to get extremely tired from holding the firewood.
Hopping in Techno's trail of footsteps, you quietly walk inside, glancing at Ghostbur for a second as he dug through a chest.
Techno was staring at what he was doing, and Wilbur didn't need two people staring, so you awkwardly climbed the ladder.
Fire.
You needed to make a fire.
This house was so cold.
You shiver, before walking to the fireplace and throwing a good four five logs in, you grab a flint and steel clicking it on the wood a few times and watching the fire catch.
Small little flames, catching onto anything they could to survive, until eventually the whole log was crackling.
The warmth was amazing, and you couldn't help raising your hands to it.
Good heat.
Good floor.
Good fire.
The ladder creaks.
A tell tale sign of someone climbing up it.
Usually you wouldn't check who it is, because Techno was the only one who walks through the house, but with all the added guests, you flick your head to look, catching Techno making his way to the chests near the fireplace.
"Forgot something?" You ask, rubbing you hands together.
"The pickaxe I'm holding isn't my pickaxe. I think I left it in here somewhere."
You hum, watching him rummage through the chests for a quick few seconds before you turn back to the fire.
"You should come sit. Get warm and all." You say, hearing the rustling of chest items pause, before the noise continues.
"Too busy. Weapons now, sit later." He grumbles.
"I'll hold you to that." You say, a cheeky smile worming it's way onto your face, still watching the fire dance around.
You don't see his reaction, but you hear him hum as a reply.
He digs for a bit more before sighing and heading for the door, "Not there."
"Good luck!" You wave without turning.
He grunts, door squeaking shut behind him.
You and the fire are left.
It'll take awhile for the house to warm up, and you're more then willing to be patient for that, cold still settled deep in your back.
A sigh.
You'd go out there and listen in, but you really don't have the social energy. Tommy and Techno? Hell yeahhh- you'd have a convo-
Wilbur? Guy who used to hate you??
Ranboo? Person you don't know at all??
Eehhh....
Eeeeehhhh....
You'll sit it out.
The door is opened again, which you turn to look at, Ranboo walking in with a droopy disappointed look, Techno behind him with a subdued happiness.
The lanky two-toned enderman doesn't even hesitate, opening the ender chest and handing another piece of Techno's armor to him.
"Poogg-" Techno grumbles, and they both trot back out of the house.
Huh.
Aight.
Have a good day.
You turn back to the fire.
You had a vague plan in your head for what you wanted to do today.
A plan which consisted of harassing Techno's horse.
..
But the house needed warmed first, so that's number one on your priority list.
The door is creaked open again, Ranboo yet again dragging himself in with a heavy sigh.
Right to the Ender chest.
Followed by a happy Technoblade. Again. This time they're both followed by Tommy.
Who is grilling Ranboo for inside information while they hand Techno the rest of his armor.
Two grubby gremlin hands passively try and take the armor being passed, but Techno slaps the hands away, making Tommy puff at him.
Astutely, you catch Ghostbur coming up the ladder, and more importantly notice the doors left open behind all of them.
"Ah." You say, which has Techno glancing to you and following your line of sight.
"Why do you guys leave all the doors open??!!"
He paces over and shuts the door with a huff, which gets a big reaction out of everyone, as they all deny being the one to leave the door open.
It was totally Tommy.
You watch them as they converge as a group again.
Everyone chattered more about their plans and prepared for it as well. Tommy is the first to file back out, followed swiftly by Ranboo and Wilbur.
Techno was the last one left sorting through a few things.
Feeling safe again, you relax, stretching and eyeing the supplies Techno was grabbing and trading.
Food.
Some tools.
A bucket.
Potions.
He drops a few useless items, then grabs the lid of the chest and slowly lowers it closed. The hinges squeal as he shuts it, the silence after it's closed only being broken by the crackling fire.
He rights himself, standing up straight. Braid pushed to his back, muscles tensing as he turns his head to meet your already watching eyes.
After you blink at each other a few times, he fully turns to you, "We're leavin. Gonna head to the nether for a bit."
"Be safe." You say.
To which he grunts.
Awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.
Like he wanted to say something else as well, but couldn't grit the words out.
"... you..." He starts, trailing off.
"You want a hug goodbye??" You laugh, completely saying that to poke at him, which is a very successful poke as heat rises to his face.
He stutters, floundering with words for a moment, coughing and settling with, "No no- just... you be safe as well."
He makes a gagging noise immediately after, "That was out of character. Eck. You know what, forget that, I hope danger finds you."
You let out a laugh, "You know what Techno? For that, you're getting a goodbye hug-" you stand, approaching him with a quick three steps before pulling him in for a swift squeeze and pat to the back.
He tenses for a moment, before hefting a sigh out. Not a disappointed sigh, more so a sigh that said he'd almost expected this to happen, and he was accepting it.
His own arms reach up, wrapping around you and pulling you in closer.
"You're threats are so threatening." Techno dryly grumbles out, which makes a chuckle build in your throat.
"I know they are. That's why I only threaten you, mister big scary and intimidating."
He let's out a laugh, "Okay little squish-able bug."
"Pfft-Pfft- haha-" you grin, squeezing him a little tighter and burying your smile in his armored chest.
You could really just stand here like this forever.
Something in you tells you he wouldn't mind, but who were you to know what he thought. All you knew was that-
This felt good.
Smiling, joking, hugging touching-
Everything about Techno just--
..
.
..
Eventually, you release first, knowing he had plans today.
He lets go after you release, looking down at you with a soft look in his eyes.
"Don't die Achilles." He says, putting a hand on your head and ruffling your hair.
"Easy enough." You say, watching him turn, strutting to the door with a smooth gait.
He leaves.
As expected.
You hear his boots walk down the snowy steps, each footstep down just as smooth as his footsteps across.
The steps disappear into the snow, and then, you're finally left completely alone.
You've been alone before.