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It was a late night at the Minecraft household and much like other nights, all three boys were still wide awake. Despite common fights, quarrels and denial, they always seemed to gravitate towards each other.
Right now for example, Tommy was quietly playing animal crossing on the tv while Techno read to himself, and Wilbur jotted in his journal. Though they weren’t interacting directly, none could deny the comfort of being around the other brothers.
The silence was inevitably broken by the youngest as he proposed a question, “Wilbur… Why is your name Wilbur?”
“W- what?” The young man in question sputtered in confusion. “What kind of question is that Tommy?”
Tommy rolled his eyes and raised his voice a bit defensively, “Well I was just thinking about names and well, Wilbur is… well, it’s weird.”
“You’re looking at me when his name is literally Technoblade?” Wilbur gestured to the eldest who just nodded in acknowledgment, eyes not leaving his book.
“Well see, that’s badass .” Tommy explained, earning a smirk from the aforementioned boy.
“And our father’s name is Philza .” Wilbur elaborated his point, setting his journal aside as he knew he was getting pulled into something.
“And…?” The blonde menace questioned back. “That doesn’t count, he's Philza.”
Wilbur rolled his eyes muttering ‘for the love of’ under his breath.
Tommy maneuvered his character a bit more on screen before continuing, “Like, did Dad just hate you?”
The musician scoffed, “ He didn’t name me.” He froze after the words left his mouth, glancing at Techno quickly. The piglin hybrid would look no different to anyone but his family, who would see a new subtle stiffness to him. Wilbur could also tell he was no longer focusing on the pages in front of him.
“Did Mumza then?” Tommy asked, eyes still on the screen leaving him unaware of the odd tension created in the room. He was referring to Phil’s allusive wife who he had heard of but never met.
“No…” Wilbur hesitated. Technoblade finally looked up and made eye contact with him, giving a small nod of permission. “It was Techno actually.”
“W-” Tommy’s eyes and head whipped back and forth between his brothers a couple times before he saved and closed his game. The loading screen came up and he shifted on the couch to face Wilbur better. “Well go on,” he gestured, “you can’t just say that! How, why, when?”
Wilbur chuckled, once more looking to his brother for permission. He received another nod and started, “So it was when me Philza and Techno first met actually. Tech and Dad were on a trip to…” he snapped his fingers in thought, calling Technoblade’s attention, “Was that trip for a trident?”
“Coral.” He answered in his standard monotone.
“Right! They were on a trip to collect coral and Dad just had Techno in the boat. What they didn’t know was that I was in the woods by the water and had seen them fly in. So I was watching them from where I thought I was unseen you know? I was a practiced sneaker right?” Tommy giggled.
“Phil didn’t see me because he was under water of course but suddenly, the weird pig kid makes eye contact with me.”
Techno let out a warning snort causing Tommy to giggle again.
Wilbur rolled his eyes with a grin, “Come on, you were weird to me. I had never been to the Nether at that point!”
“Says the dirty walking stick.” Techno shot back before his face turned to worry. He didn’t want to accidentally open old wounds after all.
The brunette gave him a reassuring smile, “And yet who’s taller now?”
“By an inch.” Techno grumbled.
“The name big man, the name !” Tommy whined.
“Okay okay I’m getting there.” Wilbur harmlessly smacked his head in more of a hair rustle. Tommy just stuck his tongue out in retaliation.
“So I jump to hide of course cause I don’t know these people or their intentions and try to watch more carefully right? I see Phil come up out of the water finally and talk to the kid, and they point at me and I’m all ‘oh shit I’m doomed’.”
Tommy gasped, “You said a bad word!”
“And you’re not supposed to be up.” Wilbur challenged with a sly glare.
The youngest leveled him with an identical look starting an impromptu staring contest. When Wilbur raised an eyebrow, Tommy finally relented and mimed zipping his mouth shut.
“That’s what I thought.” Wilbur nodded. He could see Techno silently laughing now from the armchair Tommy had his back to. Wilbur sent him a wink before continuing.
“Anyway, so I’m scared shitless right? Cause they’ve come back on land and I hear that the winged guy is gonna help the pig boy find whatever or whoever it was he saw. That’s me of course. Luckily they split up and I’m able to grab the boy and talk with him and find out who they are.”
“You kidnapped me.” Technoblade interjected.
“I was gonna give you back, don't say it like that!”
“Dad said he kidnapped me .” Tommy added proudly.
The other two sighed, Wilbur saying, “He just tells you that so you stop asking where you came from.”
“Oh.” The defeated look on Tommy’s face made Wil feel a little guilty; however, he had promised himself to protect his little brother from his past, so he powered on.
“We’re at the good part now so listen close!” Tommy luckily perked up at this. “After talking with Techno for a bit, he found out I didn’t have a family or home so he offered to take me with him. That was super scary cause I still didn’t really know them. I mean they could’ve been murderers…” Wilbur saw a flash of pained sadness pass Techno’s face so he scrambled to move on from the slip, “or… liked pineapple on pizza!”
“Ewww never!” Tommy faked a barfing sound leaving Wilbur to shoot his other brother a wordless ‘I’m sorry’ look. It was waved off with a returning ‘you didn’t mean to’ look.
Wilbur returned to the story, “But Technoblade promised me Philza was a good guy so I let him take me to him. Once we were face to face Techno tried to introduce us but realized I hadn’t given him a name. He did the thing where you go, ‘this is….’ and you’re supposed to say your name. Only problem was, I didn’t have one.”
“Didn’t have a name?!” Tommy asked shocked, “How old were you? I thought people got those when they were like… babies.”
“Most do,” Wilbur shrugged, “but, long story short I wasn’t one of those. So, thinking quickly, Techno just said the name Wilbur and it stuck.”
“But…” You could practically hear Tommy’s gears turning as he processed that, “did Dad know?”
Wilbur shook his head, “Nope. Not until we told him later. Oh, and to answer your other question, we were about 10 and 8.”
“Well-” Tommy shifted in thought, eyebrows pinched together, “where did he get the name?” He pointed at the pink haired hybrid.
“A book.” Technoblade responded before seemingly returning to the one currently in his lap. (Both boys knew he was still listening)
“Oh.” This time the word held a satisfied finality to it which pleased the older two. Until another question was proposed, “Where did my name come from?”
Wilbur became nervous and scratched the back of his neck, looking at anything other than Tommy. “Holy cow it’s getting late! We’re gonna get in trouble if Dad comes home and you’re still up.”
“No!” Tommy whined bouncing on the couch in protest, “Tell me tell me tell meeee!”
“Nope.” Wilbur got up and ruffled the boy’s hair causing more complaints, “Goodnight you gremlin. Night Techy.”
“Goodnight.” Techno responded, a small smile gracing his face as his brother patted his shoulder in passing.
Tommy stewed in thought on the couch for a bit longer before setting his sights on the remaining Minecraft in the room. When Wilbur was decidedly far enough away, he plopped himself down on the footrest in front of Technoblade and demanded, “Tell me.”
The hybrid rolled his eyes fondly before setting his book aside as Wilbur had done before. “You really wanna know?”
Tommy’s determined look was replaced with surprised eagerness and he nodded enthusiastically.
“It was Wilbur who named you.” Techno dropped nonchalantly, unlike his brother’s more theatric telling. “Actually got the name from the same book I got his from.”
“Well why couldn’t he have just said that?” Tommy tsked, shaking his head.
Techno began to grin deviously and leaned in closer to Tommy, “Wanna know why he was embarrassed?”
The boy leaned as well, eyes lighting up, “Yes!” He said in a ‘well duh’ voice.
“See by that point, he knew where I got his name, and had read the book. So, when Dad brought you home and he loved you immediately, it was a no brainer. The thing is, Wilbur and Tommy are best friends in this book. He figured that naming you Tommy would give him luck in becoming your best friend.”
Tommy’s mouth hung open in surprise.
“Kinda cheesy if you ask me.” Techno finished with a wink.
While Tommy tried to form a sentence out loud, Technoblade interrupted with, “And to answer your follow up question, Dad thought it would be fitting to have him name you since I named him.”
He watched as a collage of confused and happy emotions crossed Tommy’s face before landing on something akin to a timid smile. He let out a final ‘oh’, this one quiet and content.
Technoblade over emphasized a yawn and patted his brother’s head, “Yup. But it really is getting late now. You should sleep, Toms.”
“Fine.” Tommy huffed. He hesitated for just a second before pulling the piglin into a quick hug and leaving as if the affectionate act didn’t happen. “Night Techy.” He called over his shoulder, stifling his own yawns.
Techno chuckled and snuggled back into the chair with his book, the Voices awwing and cooing over the kid. He honestly agreed…to no one's knowledge but his own.