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Technoblade clenches his teeth, both hands applying pressure to a deep stab wound that has made its way into his stomach. All his fellow soldiers have long-since left him to bleed out. He was all alone in the end.
White spots starts infiltrating his vision, causing some sort of delay in his senses. His surroundings start melting away, leaving voids of nothingness. A stab wound is one way to go, alright. It's not like their general would care if he died, anyway. Honestly, though, who would care if he died?
Saliva bubbles up in his mouth, and the acid melts his insides. The pain was seering, if not getting number by the second. Techno is pretty sure that the sword had hit an internal organ, seeing as how the man who held the weapon had twisted the blade once it was inside him. He didn't even do it once. He did it multiple, torturous times.
And maybe if the pain wasn't so bruising, then he could close his eyes. But his attempts have failed at achieving peaceful sleep, because every now and then, the wound would send a sharp pang of pain all throughout his all body.
It's okay, though, because at any given moment, death would swallow him whole. So much for sweet sixteen, everything was bitter.
Through his vision blurred with hot tears, he sees a figure on a horse approaching him. Great, maybe this person will finally spare him from his suffering. Coup de grâce, perhaps it could be on his side just this once.
Unfortunately, it isn't. As soon as the man got off his horse, he felt his body jolt as he felt observing eyes shoot lasers through his skin. He whimpers at the sudden movement, in hopes that the stranger would just slay him already.
"Who on earth would do this to a child?" said stranger mutters with an underlying tone of anger.
As soon as Techno got to angle his head right to see the face of the man, he recognised him almost instantly. "General Philza?"
This is bad, well, it was good for his situation. The man before him was the enemy country's strongest and best general. And enemy means he's about to get killed. Just what he was hoping for. It's not that he actually wants to die, he just wants to be put out of his misery, if that misery was a knife to his stomach.
"I'm here, child," Philza says, and for some reason he sounded like he was trying to comfort him. "I'll get you out of here."
...Huh?
That was odd. The general isn't supposed to be offering a helping hand to him right now. Is it not obvious that he's one of his enemies? No, it must be really obvious considering he was wearing his country's colours. So, why would the man even try to help him out of the mess he got himself in?
"What's your name?" Philza asks. It didn't sound like an order, so he really didn't need to answer him. He's probably not even allowed to give out his name. But, who cares, really? Giving out his name to some stranger is something he shouldn't really fuss over in his possibly upcoming final moments.
"Techno... Technoblade," he answers.
"Well, Techno, some fuckers decided to carve through your stomach like a pumpkin. I'm going to help you, so will you cooperate with me?" Philza offers.
Techno couldn't give him anything more than a hum of agreement, and a confused gaze. He felt too tired to let his head be filled with wonder. As his consciousness starts to slip away, he feels the world start violently shaking.
He didn't notice that he was riding a horse now, and that he was in the arms of Philza, the Angel of Death.
Holy...
He was in the arms of the Angel of Death.
It didn't matter if he was an enemy, he was still famous in the field for being an outstanding warrior. And that is enough to send him spiralling.
"Why'd you..." Techno manages to choke out before his own voice starts to fail him. "Why'd you save me?"
"You're just a kid, Techno," he responds as if the sixteen-year-old didn't already know that. "I couldn't just leave you there to die."
"Even if I'm an enemy?"
Phil nods—or at least that's what Techno felt him do, his eyes still closed. "Even if you're an enemy. I doubt you'd suddenly get up and stab me to death."
"I could, though," Techno blurts out against his will. Shoot, now Philza would definitely abandon him. Or kill him.
"But, you wouldn't," the general follows.
He's right. He wouldn't.
Techno decides that it's best for him to not drag out the conversation any longer, afraid that he might say something against his will again.
A bump on the road makes his whole body bounce upwards, sending unexplainable amounts of fresh pain, hitting every nerve and muscle. He lets out something close to a cry, making the general pull him closer, head resting on his chest.
"We're almost there, child. Can you hold out until then?" he looks at the pinkette, worried at the lack of response. "Techno?"
"Unsure," he mumbles underneath his breath, voice all muffled from being buried into Philza's clothes.
Techno liked the feeling of being held, hugged even. In a way, it healed him in a nostalgic way. Just like his parents back when he was young, back when he hadn't forgotten their names or faces yet. Impulsive thoughts start to swarm him like bees from a beehive, his arms wrapping around the older man's waist. The world must be on his side now, it was probably apologising for making a hole in his stomach, because Philza returns the gesture.
Something warm is placed on his back, and a hand was stroking the back of his head, gently combing through his tangled hair. And oh, did it feel so good. The warmth heated up his cool skin, like the bonfires from his scouting days.
"You like hugs?" Phil questions, still not letting go of the embrace. Even when the horse starts to pick up its pace, he didn't.
Techno thinks about it for a second. Does he? Well, considering how he has melted like ice already, in the Angel of Death's arms at that, perhaps he does. "Mhm," he responds.
His answer made Philza hold him even closer, as if letting go would instantly make him sob. He's sure it would, though.
"Shit, your bleeding has worsen," Phil tries to pull away, but Techno used all the strength in him to deflect the action. "Mate, you have to let go. The loss of blood won't be good for you."
Techno shakes his head 'no', because right now, hugs were more important than the fact that he's bleeding out.
"Stay with me, okay?" Phil urges. "We're close to home."
"Could- Couldn't promise," Techno slurs. He doesn't know why he was stuttering, but maybe taking a nap would make it go away. He's probably not going to die if Philza was with him. Dead people can't feel warm hugs.
"It's all good," Phil rubs his back. "You can take a short nap, as long as you promise that you'd be awake later."
"That I can promise," Techno agrees to the sweet-sounding offer. Ah, sleep.
"I'll be here when you wake up," Phil reassures. "All the pain will be gone, and you'll be safe and sound in your own bed."
That was enough for Techno to let his injury drain out the rest of his energy, and drift off into his temporary slumber. All the while, the burning affection and the whispered words of comfort imprinted themselves onto his being, even following him to the depths of his peaceful and unbothered sleep.