Chapter Text
Techno finally was able to worm his way out of the nest the birdbrains set up and get some fresh air. It was strange. Everyone acted like he came back from the dead. It sounded more like he missed all the excitement, sleeping through it. All he did was rest, slack off on his training, while everyone else worked up a panic.
Seemed like he got off easy. Everyone fussing over him was getting old real quick.
The pinkette carefully snuck into the castle gardens to find a familiar face sitting by the pond. Dream. Techno watched his fellow competitor sitting quietly in the first rays of dawn, watching the fish. Techno came over and sat next to him. The two sat in silence for a moment.
“So…” Great start.
“So.” Dream hummed. “You’re a prince?” He smirked. “You made fun of me being homeless when you had a whole ass castle!” Dream wheezed and Techno rolled his eyes. Techno let out a huff.
“It’s not mine to give away.” He countered. “And I’m not really a prince.” Dream’s laughter trailed off. His face difficult to read.
“I think Emperor Philza disagrees with that.” He muttered. Techno fiddled with the grass.
“Of course he does, he’s my guardian.” The pinkette replied simply. “A guardian always wants the best for the piglets of the sounder. It’s plain logic.”
“For simple logic, you sure are dense.” Dream deadpanned. Techno arched a brow. What? He hadn’t missed anything. “He’s your dad. You have one, heck, I never had one of those…but I might have a mama? Papa? Eh, still working on the name…whatever. Anyways, he cares. Your brothers care. It’s not just a sounder thing. You know that, right?” Techno felt lost, shaking his head at Dream’s strangeness.
“Bruh, Phil can’t be my dad. Physically impossible. He’s my guardian, Kristen too. They’re the ones that care about me, make sure I’m healthy and capable. You know?” A look of understanding came across the blonde’s face. “What?”
“Techno…what’s a dad in piglin culture?” Techno furrowed his brow. What was he talking about, it was the same on the Overworld as it was in the Nether.
“Your ‘dad’ or ‘father’ is the one who aided in your birth. Your guardians are the ones who care and love you. Pretty simple, Dee.” He chuffed, crossing his arms. “Families get torn apart fast, so we have our sounders. The families we make and defend with our lives. I understand the Overworld care more about blood, but in the Nether bonds matter more. The people you choose, not the ones your bound to.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Dream hummed. “Here I thought you were saying Phil didn’t love you. In the short time I’ve known the old guy, he’s been going nuts to help you. Wilbur too.” Techno snorted.
“I have no doubts he loves me, nor the rest of my sounder. There’s no reason to be in the sounder if you don’t care about your fellow members.” He shrugged. “The point of a sounder is to work together, care for one another, and survive.”
“Is that why it doesn’t bother you?” Techno tilted his head to the side. Dream leaned back in the grass, glancing over to him. “You know, the nobles.” He shrugged.
“I just don’t care.” The pinkette replied bluntly. “I don’t care what some stuffy morons think of me. I care about my sounder, and those I think would be good additions. I care about Phil and Kristen, may she rest well. I care about Tommy and want him safe and happy. I took that curse for Wilbur because I want the very same for him. I trained Ranboo so he could protect himself when I cannot.” He looked over the blonde. “The same is why I enjoy fighting with you.”
“Aww, Blade…”
“Shut up.” He chuffed, looking back to the fish. Watching the colorful one’s swish round and round in the pond. “I don’t do…emotional stuff. You, you’re a good guy. Strong. Make a fine addition to any sounder.” He hesitated. “Mine, or the one with your brother.” Dream laughed.
“I can do both, right? Foolish is my blood, but you’re a bond. I can have both, can’t I?” He considered it. The was nothing against being in more than one sounder. Typically common against smaller ones, than large. Sounders could come together and break apart as needed for optimal survival.
“Yes. I believe so.” Techno confirmed. Dream grinned a ferally as he thought it’d be under his mask. “Will you follow your blood? You spoke quite highly of your brother.” Dream laughed.
“He’s a moron, but he’s my moron.” A fond look sparkled in the blonde’s green eyes. “I want to follow Foolish home. Get to know Puffy. See what I’ve been missing.”
“You’ll still compete, right?”
“Of course, Blade. Someone has to knock you off your high horse.”
“Carl is a delight. Don’t be jealous.” Techno smirked.
“That horse is a demon.” The pair began to laugh. Exchange stories without alter pieces to hide their identities. Dream sharing the tale of him and Foolish fleeing the oasis to live in the woods. Techno telling him more about meeting his guardians. Dream mocking the hunters that tried to catch him. Techno talking about his hoglin hunts when he was younger.
Stories they once couldn’t share free from any and all scrutiny. They could be more than rivals, more than competitors.
They could be friends.
-
A new came too soon, and farewells followed. Queen Puffy had her criminals jailed on her ship, and family ready to journey home. Jordan well enough to be on crutches, but still needing help boarding. Dream hand in hand with his older brother walking on Puffy’s ship, while Techno stood on the docks next to his own.
“You gonna miss your friend?” Techno shrugged.
“He’ll be back when Esempi comes for the spring summit.” Wilbur scoffed, messing up Techno’s pink locks. The younger hissed, fixing them quickly. “I’m sure he’ll be making up for lost time until then.” Techno smirked. “Which means he’ll slack up on training and I’ll whip his sorry tail.”
“You are too competitive for your own good.” Wilbur muttered, patting his back. Techno leaned into the motion, watching the ship prepare to set sail. Puffy and Phil going over formal mumbo jumbo that Techno could care less about. Tommy was busy pranking dock workers with Tubbo and Ranboo. Caught up more in having fun than saying goodbye.
“I never got to say it,” Wilbur whispered, reaching over to squeeze the pinkette’s shoulder, “but thank you. You saved me and-” He choked up, shaking his head. “I don’t care what happens next time, but don’t jump in front of me. Okay Tech?” The younger stared at the brunet and elbowed him.
“Always so dramatic.” Puffy and Phil bowed to one another, Puffy walking up the plank and the ropes were loosened. Sails set free as the ship prepared to head back home.
“Techno-“
“Look, I’d do it again and I won’t promise a lie. It’s waste of my breath and your time.” Wilbur glared. “But, I’ll try to avoid curses in the future, and uh, you welcome?” He offered up a hand. The older shook it, clearly unhappy but accepting the terms.
Dream waved over the edge, a wild grin on his face. Foolish holding him up with one arm and the other? Looked like he finally made his move. The other arm was wrapped comfortably around Eret’s shoulder. They waved happily from the ship back at the docks. Wilbur waved back.
“You alright?” Wilbur blinked a few tears away.
“Yeah, just happy.” He chuckled. “I’ll miss them, don’t get me wrong but Eret deserves some happiness. I don’t think they’d ever truly be happy here. They love the colors of nature far too much to be at peace in the snow. Besides,” Techno squirmed as his brother pulled him into a hug, “I always have you and Tommy.”
Techno shoved him off as Phil scolded Tommy for nearly falling off the docks. Wilbur taking his chance to add in his two cents upon the youngest foolhardy games at the docks. Tubbo smugly watching his friend get scolded, while Ranboo was resigned to whatever fate befell any of them. Techno watched from a distance, arms crossed before heading back to his sounder.
It was moments like these that made being awake, that made living worth it. Little things and the people you loved. And if it meant taking a thousand curses to keep these people safe, to see his friend smile and find his place, to ensure they had days like these. Days where the wicked fell and good triumphed.
For that, Techno would do it without a second thought.
For them, he would gladly give the world.