Chapter Text
Technoblade's nose twitches at the scent of carrots when he wakes up.
He rolls over, pulling on the frayed edges of his blanket. The poor thing is tattered beyond recognition. Once vibrant colors have faded into pastel hues and it doesn't really keep him as warm as it used to - the fabric has gone all threadbare. Tommy knitted him a new one but it's not the same. Techno still prefers sleeping under this thin thing, even if it doesn't ward off the chill of his burrow completely.
That's okay though. With age, Techno's fur has grown thicker. He doesn't get cold as easily as he did when he was a lanky teenager, all haywire instincts and constant stress. He's a little taller too, though not as tall as Phil. Damn elytrian genes. At least Tommy hasn't started outgrowing him yet, though that might be a matter of time. And Wilbur-
"Technooooooo!" Somebody is slamming the wooden hatch outside his burrow. Techno frowns, ear flicking at the sound despite it not being a physical thing he can shrug off like he'd shrug off an annoying bug. Wilbur is not really deterred by his failure to open the door.
Because a moment later, a head pops through the wood.
"Techno, come out here. I brought you a gift."
That explains the smell. The tiny little part of Techno that wishes he could continue sleeping is draining fast at the promise of his favorite treat. With a sigh, he opens his eyes.
"Get out of my door," Techno says. Wilbur grins at him.
"Get out of your burrow."
"This is why I got a lock." Techno throws the blanket off and smooths his hair down before getting up. Wilbur has the decency to pull away before Techno comes outside.
Wilbur becoming a phantom was… definitely something interesting for Techno to get used to. For all of them, really. He doesn't like to think much about the accident or that time right after. Techno was still young when it happened. Phil never really forgave himself.
He shakes his head and climbs out of his burrow and there Wilbur is, smiling broadly. In one arm he's carrying a basket of carrots.
"What are you bribing me for now?" Techno asks, snatching one from the basket immediately to munch on. A man has got to have his breakfast.
"I need some materials collected. I was wondering if you would help me?" Wilbur leans a bit closer, the shade of the trees falling over his features. His fangs are sharp, a little mischievous as he smiles at Techno.
"And with 'help', you mean you want me to do all the hard work and then you'll pay me in carrots, right?"
Wilbur holds the basket out to him. "It's a pleasure doing business with you."
"Yeah, yeah." Techno takes his payment from him. "Just don't expect to get a family discount."
After that Wilbur hands him a list of the stuff he needs, mostly ingredients for potion brewing. None of it is hard to get, just tedious. And Wilbur can't move around as easily as he used to. Not when the sun is out. Techno doesn't mind picking up the slack as long as he's paid.
Everybody in the commune knows he'll work as a hand for hire willing to do basically anything as long as they got carrots to give him.
He goes down to the pier first, waving at Niki where she's lounging by the beach. Once he has collected the seashells Wilbur needs to make white dye, he sets out back to the valley.
The weather is nice. Summer is not Techno's favorite time of year, but he does prefer sunshine over rain. When autumn comes and the heat turns into more of a bearable warmth, Techno will be happy. He'll also have to begin thinking of things to give Wilbur for his birthday.
Worse, his family will probably start pestering Techno to come up with potential gift ideas for himself also. Something he's not very good at. But he doubts asking every single one of them to give him carrots is going to fly again.
A dark shadow glides over him. Techno looks up just in time to get a face full of feathers for his troubles. Tommy beats his wings frantically to try and avoid the collision but it's already too late. The force with which he knocks into Techno is enough to topple the rabbit hybrid off his feet.
Tommy laughs, hands pressing on Techno's chest so he can right himself. "Oh, hi Techno!"
"I thought you'd been practicing?" Techno asks. He pushes Tommy off lightly.
"I have! The flying is going great, actually." Tommy spreads his wings, the shape curved downward more than when he was a kid. They've been growing steadily, along with the rest of him. Techno can't believe his little brother is so close to being an adult already.
"You just need to learn how to stick the landing."
"I think I nailed that part," Tommy says with a grin. Techno brushes his messed-up hair out of his face with a scowl.
"I bet I can still get to the bottom of the hill faster than you with your fancy wings," he says. The glint in Tommy's eye tells him he'll be unable to resist the challenge.
And true to expectation, Tommy pushes back his shoulders, and the feathers that have started to grow from his ears perk up. "You're on!"
Techno wins, because of course he does. It's not much of a challenge when one leap takes him all the way to the grassy field below and Tommy hasn't even taken off yet. Techno waits for his brother and then they walk to Ranboo's and Tubbo's homes together. Tommy won't stop talking about his training, and the trip out of the valley he'll take with his friends soon.
Techno isn't going because he's already agreed to help Scott in his library on that day. But honestly, he's kind of looking forward to it. Peace and quiet will be nice.
When they get to the hive, Ranboo and Tubbo are standing outside. Jack is there too, talking animately at the two of them. There's a buzz in the air.
"What's going on?" Tommy asks as soon as they're within earshot. Which means he's yelling more than anything. Techno has become used to his loudness even if he still flinches every time.
"There's somebody new in the commune," Tubbo says.
Tommy's wings fluff up, eyes widening in visible excitement. "Really?"
"She's staying at the Pube for now," Jack confirms. "Her name is Beautie and she's an avian. So if you can convince Phil to drop by and help us find a spot for her to build, that'd be great."
"Well, I'd have to meet her first, won't I?" Tommy says. "To make sure she's like, chill." It's obviously just an excuse to sate his own curiosity over the newcomer.
Tubbo nods. "And I'll have to come with you because of reasons."
"Reasons like?" Ranboo prompts.
"Reasons like: because I want to."
Ranboo rolls her eyes, messing with the dainty ruffles on her sleeves. "Terrible. Prying into a poor person's life like that."
"You can come with us if you'd like," Tommy says. He's already taking off, Tubbo hovering above the ground to catch up.
"Obviously," Ranboo says as they hurry after them.
"Are you coming too, Techno?" Tommy asks over his shoulder, barely slowing down.
"Nah, I have work to do." He'll get a chance to meet her soon enough. The commune is small so it's unlikely that he'll never run into her.
Instead, he focuses on making his way through Wilbur's list. He collects most of the items needed by sundown, when he sits down on one of the grassy slopes of the hill to take a break. The sun is setting on the valley, a small sliver over it visible over the horizon and highlighting a red-yellow sky. Techno likes it. The views in the valley are his favorite.
Phil lands almost noiselessly, much more graceful than Tommy could ever hope to be. He presses his shoulder against Techno's lightly.
"How was patrolling?" Techno asks.
"Everything is quiet for now," Phil says. There are wrinkles around his eyes, crow's feet as they'd fittingly be called. Techno just wishes they didn't get there because Phil spends so much more of his time worrying about things than he used to.
Sighing, Techno fidgets with the beaded bracelet around his wrist.
"What about your day?" Phil asks, spreading his wing to lie along Techno's back.
And at that moment Techno feels so small again, so scared of the world outside the valley yet so loved by the people who saved him.
"I'm fine," he says. There's a faint smile on his face.
Phil smiles too. Then he reaches out so he can drag Techno to sit in front of him. "Come here, let me braid your hair."
"I'm too old for that," Techno complains half-heartedly, though he doesn't actually try to stop him. Fingers wind into the long strands, gently.
"Let an old man have the small joys in life before he turns to dust," Phil says seriously. It makes Techno laugh.
The sun sets on the valley once more, and it will rise again once more too.