Chapter Text
The valley was blooming with life, the grass was vibrant green, making all the buildings around stand out more, the forest circling their community was full of trees covered with leaves. The water in the little lake just next to their community was looking fresh and bright, the sun reflecting on its surface.
Techno leaned on the railing of the balcony on the upper floor of the Pube, taking a deep breath, feeling the warm, summer air filling his lungs. Today could be a day like any other, but this specific date held a slight significance to him. To his whole family to be honest.
Today marks three years since he came here, to this small valley next to a mountain range, with flying islands and weird names for buildings. Three years since he found a small, winged boy getting taken away from home, three years since he abandoned his previous house, and three years since he found a home.
He looked down to where Niki and Jack were hanging out, the Merling swimming in her pond with the Blazeborn sitting close by, both shouting when Niki accidentally splashed Jack with some water. Close to them Ranboo and Tubbo were chasing after Charlie, screaming something about a slime machine (Techno was really too scared to ask).
He could technically go down there as well, but he was currently being held hostage by some dead-looking guy, who was currently hanging off his shoulders.
“Wilbur, just because I can’t see you, doesn’t mean I don’t feel your dirty hands in my hair.”
A scoff came from behind him. “You’re no fun.”
“I wanted some peace.” Techno tried to swat at Wil with his hand, but to no avail.
“You can have some peace with me,” the Phantom chirped.
“That is literally impossible.”
“Technoblade!” A voice called from inside the pub. “We need help!”
Techno sighed loudly. “You better not have burned down the kitchen, Tommy!”
“I did not!” the boy squawked, as Techno made his way to the kitchen area.
When he walked into the room, the first thing he saw were Phil and Tommy covered in flour and a bunch of ingredients scattered on the countertop. A bowl was placed neatly in between all of that.
“Help,” Tommy pleaded and even his wings didn’t survive the flour attack.
“What did you idiots even do?”
“Well,” Phil said as he tried to clean himself up a little with a towel. “We were trying to bake a cake, but someone,” a glare was aimed at Tommy, “decided that throwing the flour in the air would be a great idea.”
“In my defense,” Tommy piped in, “it was fun-” The boy’s face was suddenly covered with a towel as Wilbur started cleaning his face, ignoring his brother’s spluttering.
“You damn gremlin,” the Phantom mumbled, trying to dust Tommy’s hair a little. “You’re hopeless”
“Anyways…” Phil turned to Techno when his sons continued to argue over the towel. “Would you be willing to help a bit?”
It took around twenty minutes to clean all the flour, another twenty to make the cake, and an hour for it to bake while they finished the cleaning and lazed around on the couches.
“Techno,” Tommy started from where he laid on the couch upside down, his curls touching the floor, “if you could be a hybrid of any sorts, what would you choose?”
Techno hummed. “I don’t know.”
“I do!” Wilbur jumped to sit next to him, throwing his arm around him. “A piglin! ‘Cause you’re a big grump who loves his gold!”
“I’m just fashionable,” Techno grumbled.
“Oh, oh!” Tommy sat up, his wings puffed out. “You’d be something like a Guardian! Strong, protective and a little bitch!”
“ Theseus ,” the man growled, “Thin ice.”
“If I were to suggest anything,” Phil said from the other couch, putting his book down, “I would see Techno as a Wither hybrid. Man’s strong and scary, and the aesthetic would fit him.”
Wilbur and Tommy voiced their agreement, nodding along their father’s words.
“Can’t I just be something simple?” Techno asked with a grin. “Like, a frog? Or a rabbit?”
“Nah.” Tommy leaned back against him. “That’s kinda boring.”
“Whatever, chicken boy,” he chuckled, the boy shrieking in displeasure.
The cake wasn’t really that fancy or pretty, just a plain cake with fluffy cream and strawberry filling, but it was definitely one of the best ones Techno had the pleasure of eating. (Okay, he might be a bit biased, sue him.)
When they finished eating, Tommy started bouncing around the room, and Phil was once again reminded not to give the boy too much sugar, but it was too late.
They chased each other for a bit, playing a bit of hide and seek, running around the Pube as the sun slowly came down.
“I will belt you!”
Wilbur screamed. “Madza!” He ran to hide behind the couch. “Run for your life!”
“It’s not my goddamn fault you broke the vase!” Tommy shouted, sitting on one of the support beams of the roof. “You’re on your own!”
“Traitor!” Wilbur shrieked as Phil finally caught up to him, basically tackling him to the ground.
“One man down!” Techno called from behind the kitchen counter.
A shouted “Catch me!” was the only warning he got before a blond child glided into his arms from above. “To the bunkier!”
Techno ran towards the stairs, Tommy clutched tightly to his chest, both laughing. Phil abandoned Wilbur on the floor as he used his wings to bust himself towards the two of them.
They both shrieked as Phil got closer, only barely avoiding him as Techno made a sharp turn to the nest room, the older Elytrian losing his balance for a second and sliding down the corridor.
Techno turned around to fall down onto the nest on his back, Tommy still in his arms. They fell down with a thud, both breathing heavily amongst the blankets and pillows, grins stretching their faces.
Soon a brown haired Phantom phazed through the floor to lie down next to them, followed by Phil walking into the room all disheveled and throwing himself on the pillows.
After a bit all of their breathing evened out, sometimes interrupted by a stray giggle.
“Wilbur, I’m still mad about that vase,” Phil mumbled in the silence that surrounded them.
“I’ll get you another one,” Wilbur grumbled, burrowing his face into the soft fabric around him.
“Just shut up.” Tommy twisted around to glare at his brother. “Your whining is interrupting my relaxation time.”
Techno smacked the boy with a pillow. “Shush, child.”
Tommy grumbled, but settled down on the blankets, half laying on Techno, half on his father.
“Why do you always sleep on me?” Techno chuckled.
“‘Cause you’re comfy,” the boy mumbled, pressing himself more into Techno’s shirt.
“Is that all I’m good at? Being a pillow?”
“Don’t be such a grump,” Wilbur added from his other side. “You can also make nice hot chocolate.”
“And good bread,” Phil chimed in.
“Good to know I'm so useful to you then.”
The room got filled with soft laughter.
“You know,” Techno whispered when he caught his breath, “I don’t care if I was a hybrid of whatever kind, as long as I got you lot there with me.”
“Awwwww,” Wilbur hugged him tightly, mindful of their youngest. “Sappyblade.”
Techno chuckled. “Maybe a bit.”
“It’s a special day, after all.” Phil threw his wing over the three of them. “Don’t think we forgot, Techno.”
“We celebrated enough as it is.”
“There’s never enough celebrating in my humble opinion,” Tommy mumbled, eyes still closed.
“Nothing about you is humble,” Wilbur mumbled back.
“Well, fuck you, then.”
“Anyways,” Phil interrupted before it got too out of hand, “if the Universe made us meet that day, I’m sure we would meet in any other life.”
“You think we’d be friends in other worlds?”
“Not exactly, mate.” Phil’s smile was visible even in the dark. “I’m sure we’d be a family in every reality we’d met.”
Techno wasn’t even gonna try to stop the sappy smile that appeared on his face. “Can we sleep now? I think that’s enough emotions for one day.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Phil moved closer, throwing an arm around them. “We have all of the future to be as sappy as we can.”
Techno just hummed, closing his eyes.
This was his place in the world. This was the place he wanted to spend his life in.
Here were the people he wouldn’t change for the world and would lie his life upon for. For so many years the only thing he thought he wanted was silence, some peace and quiet after all his troubles, but it turned out he was wrong. So very wrong.
He really has gotten sappy, hasn’t he?
Well, to be honest, he didn’t really mind.
He had his family to be sappy with him, after all.