Chapter Text
It started with a gray hair.
Just one, Techno found it when he was getting the hair out of his brush. He’s 32 and stared at it like it had just killed Steve, and it might as well have with the implications it gave just for simply existing. He holds it up to the light, horrified. He can hear Phil moving around in the other room, and the hair ends up in the trash to be forgotten.
The next one Phil found much later, and Techno wished he didn't. Techno is 35 and was sitting on the floor in front of the couch while Phil did his hair. He was running his fingers through the smooth pink, both enjoying the feeling.
Then Phil suddenly stopped. Techno waited for him to tug at some knot he found or something, but nothing came. In fact, Phil shook his hands out of Techno's hair. Techno's quick to turn around and look up at Phil with a questioning gaze. Phil was just staring at the side of his head. It was odd "Somethin' wrong?"
Phil reaches forward and gently separates a piece of hair from the rest, a singular strand, and as he holds it out Techno stills.
Another gray hair. Techno had forgotten about the first one he found, but staring at another one made him remember. Techno wasn't exactly young, but he wasn't super old either.
Not yet, at least.
He glances at Phil and feels his heart shatter at the horrifying realization that lays across his face. Techno grabs the hair and lightly pulls it from Phil's hand, wrapping it tightly around his finger right to where it connected to his head then yanking.
Phil yelps at the sudden action his partner just did and Techno gets up, unraveling the hair from his finger and dropping it into the trash. Techno turns and stares at Phil for a moment and he stares back. they stay like that for a moment before Phil gives a sad smile. Techno gives a smile back as an attempt at reassurance and walks back over, sitting back down on the floor in front of Phil once again.
Techno was thankful they could speak to each other without words. They were both used to having quick silent conversations, which was fairly useful when neither wanted to speak the words or form the sentences. That was the first time Phil found a gray hair on Techno, but it wasn’t the last.
It happened again and again over the years, for a while Techno just yanked them out. Eventually, that was no longer an option, and once they started coming in more than one at a time he started to dye them. His hair was naturally pink, so finding and buying a dye that matched his hair color was difficult, but he managed, so whenever gray came in he made it pink again
He changed, he got older, Phil didn’t. Phil’s done this whole song and dance so many times before, it comes with being immortal, having to watch your loved ones die. This time it hurt so much more, having to watch Techno wither away, and he doesn’t know why. Maybe it’s because this is the first time he’s gotten attached in centuries, maybe it’s because he’s never loved anyone like he’s loved Technoblade.
He doesn’t know
What he does know is that he has time, Techno does not. He goes from 22 to 34, 57 to 65, 78 to 83, then to 97.
He’s 97 and Phil knows there’s only so long left, so much time left. Not enough time, he didn’t get long enough with his dear, why must lady death be so cruel-
No, it’s not lady deaths fault, it’s not Kristin’s fault. She doesn’t take, she simply guides. It’s the world that’s cruel.
It’s on a Sunday night when Techno wraps his arms around Phil, giving him a kiss goodnight before disappearing down the hall to go to bed.
Monday morning, Phil Screams
Monday afternoon, a grave sits in the backyard under his favorite tree
The rest of the day is spent grieving for what was once again lost. He sat on the floor in their bedroom for hours, even when his body protested and demanded he gets up. Steve the third sat with him, feeling the sadness that came from his owner and the lack of his other owner.
Steve had died long ago, as had steve the second. They were now onto Steve the third and he too was old, nearing his own end. He would soon follow Phil’s husband, but for now, Phil would shove his head into the large animal’s fur and sob as his heart bled.
Outside, it started to rain. If Phil could see it he would curse it, The world has no right to be sad, they’re the ones that took his love away from him.