Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tommy sat shivering in the snow, his knees pulled up to his chin and head lolling forward. At this point, he was ready, even wishing, for death.

His signature red and white t-shirt was practically frozen to his skin and torn in multiple places. His golden hair was much closer to a washed-out dirty straw color, hanging down just past his ears and matted beyond belief. He had even managed to lose one of his shoes at some point on the long trek here.

Prime, he had been so fucking stupid. He had been in exile for so, so damn long, but Dream had been there! He had cared for Tommy, he was his friend.. wasn't he? 

He had helped him, he was helping him! But then he had found his small stash of belongings that he had hidden underneath Logstedshire and... and… It was so unfair! 

Tommy hadn't been preparing to attack him, or, or run or anything! He would never leave his only fr- Dream.

Not when he had done so much for him.

He just wanted a few things that he could say were his for once. Prime, even the discs weren't his really! They were just pieces of a bigger puzzle he was holding on to. 

But that was against the rules, so he had deserved the punishment Dream had decided to give him. Really it was his own fault, like all the other things in his life so far. If he had just listened for once in his pathetic life!! 

Everything would've been fine if he had just listened ! Dream was visiting him! Life was better! Fuck, Dream was even joking around with him now!

But Tommy hadn't listened. He had decided to ruin things like he always did. He lied to Dream and hid his items. Why had he hid his items from his only friend? He was such a prime-damned idiot.

There was so much fire, the explosions had been so, so loud… there had been nothing left.. Ironic, first L'manberg in ashes, then his new home. 

And mushroom Henry… 

All he could do was let out a quivering breath at that. Seeing his butchered body laying among the charred wood as ash floated down around him… it reminded him of Wilbur in a way. 

Watching as his body crumpled to the floor, a bloodstain spreading across that sh-ty coat he had worn during Pogtopia. 

L'manberg, a crater in front of him as Phil stood over Wilbur’s body, running his hands through his matted and broken deep brown primaries...

And then he had built the tower. He had always wanted to fly, like Wilbur and Techno and Da- Phil. But flying wasn't for him, it never had been, just like all the other gifts his family seemed to possess. 

Nothing had ever been for him, he was the youngest and most annoying sibling, and he had accepted that role with a smile and a laugh despite the pinprick of hurt it left to fester.

Dying now would be awfully convenient though for fate. And he was never one to make things convenient.

Not even having his life be his own anymore, after having both his homes and br- Wilbur ripped away. It was funny in a way, a sick, twisted way.

In the end he had landed in the water with a bit of hesitation and stumbled through the forest into the snow, just trying to get away at first, but somewhere along the way he just so happened to start heading in the general direction of Techno's cabin.

But then he had been such a stupid fucking idiot like he always was and had gotten lost, and now he was going to die in a blizzard, frozen and alone. 

A small broken sob crawled out of his throat. A tear left his eye, freezing halfway down his cheek. He saw a large winged figure in the distance between the icicles on his lashes. 

He hardly noticed the growing pain in his back as he slumped forward and slipped into the warmth that the darkness seemed to always promise.

Technoblade never was the type to forgive and forget easily, yet here he was, with his seemingly somehow even smaller than usual brother. 

Let’s go back to where this had begun in the first place. Techno had been enjoying a nice cup of coffee with a book in his hands in front of his fireplace with Steve at his feet, trying to relax after being literally executed Chat please shut up,  when Chat had started going crazy, well crazier than usual anyway… 

CHILD- BABY- BLIZZARD

E

Blood for the blood god!

SAVE HIM

I’ll be the reasonable voice an-

CHILD IN SNOW!!

eeeeeee

Techno just let out a groan. "Chat can't the supposed child wait until it's not a literal blizzard outside. For one, I was just executed. And two, I really don't wanna deal with 'dadnoblade' for no reason this early in the mornin'."

NO!

Yeah leave him lmao

Its like 6 in the afternoon outside what?

BLOO-

save our boy!

ONE OF US- ONE OF-

hehe dadnoblade

Technoblade huffed and begrudgingly got up from his spot on the couch at the pestering of chat, setting his book and coffee aside as Steve grumbled from the floor and flicked one ear. 

“Yeah, yeah Chat, I’m goin' I’m goin' calm down,” He said with a sigh, “This kid better not be an orphan, otherwise Steve might have a mid-mornin' snack as payment for the interruption.”

 His wings rustled as he put his cloak on and clasped it in front of his chest. He grabbed his boar skull mask and fastened it gently behind his head. Thankfully it had survived the anvil. It was unlikely he was going to run into anyone else out here but he could, and would never take that chance. 

He walked back to Steve and gave him a pat on the head, ignoring the bear's pointed look, before he walked back to the door. 

He squinted at the blizzard, his wings fluffing up uncomfortably against his back at the chill. "Chat, why would a child be out here? Must have some idiot parents," he said, hunching his shoulders before stepping into the snow. 

Idk man i just got here

KILL IT

haha idiot dead Techno L

SAVE THE BABY

Our son!!!

ee

GO BACK INSIDE

(Most of) Chat still seemed adamant about there being a baby that needed saving though so he continued. 

His boots sank uncomfortably into the snow, though thankfully he had made them with the snowy climate in mind, he wasn't an idiot Chat, so it wasn't that bad, just up to his ankles. 

The blizzard limited his vision severely to the point where he couldn't see much other than the flakes in front of his face. Just as he was wondering what Phil would do if he found him out in the snow tomorrow because Chat had seen a baby bird or somethin' and got excited, he tripped.

Techno let out a groan as he fell into the snow, barely stopping himself from face planting. He rolled over and pushed himself up, twisting to get a look at what caused him to fall.

 He noticed bright red wings and immediately shuffled closer to get a better look, pushing his frustration down. Him and Phil were some of the only avians left on the server now that Wilbur was dead, so maybe this was a new member? A young avian separated from their flock so they joined the Dream SMP? Land where "hybrids and humans coexist in 'peace'."

He shoved himself up and nudged the kid with his foot, "Hey kid, get up" he grunted out, before letting out a sigh and rolling the kid over so he could see their face. Once he did a small gasp left his mouth. It was Tommy. 

The rest of their family had always assumed that Tommy hadn't inherited Phils avian genes somehow. Yet here he was, staring down at his brother that had the brightest red macaw wings, and seemed to have… shrunk? 

Well, the turning progress was supposed to make people more like their hybrid counterparts. And since Tommy appeared to have become a bird hybrid, he was naturally smaller.

baby, precious, must protect, nest, flock, fledgling, unsafe, child

Techno covered his face in embarrassment. He thought he had gotten control of his instincts years ago, but it appears with the appearance of his newly transformed and frozen half to death younger brother, they had come back.

Despite how the betrayal he felt at what had happened in L'Manberg, he couldn't leave a fledgling, much less his adopted brother, to die in the snow. He's not that heartless guys.

He couldn't help Tommy though if he went full papa bird mode, so he took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly.

Wait, wasn't Tommy supposed to be in exile? With Dream watching him? Should've known he could never trust his rival. The homeless teletubby had always had it out for Tommy for some reason.

He wrapped his arms under Tommy's vulnerable form, hefting him up and making his way back to the house. First things first, he needed to prevent Tommy from getting hypothermia. He shut the door with his foot, laying Tommy down next to the fireplace. He trusted Steve not to eat him yet, Chat, come on. He had trained his most prized pet better than that. 

He hung his mask back up and just looked at Tommy for a minute. He felt bad about invading the kids' privacy but he couldn't keep the frozen and torn clothes on. 

He kept his head turned and eyes shut the entire time as he stripped Tommy to his underclothes. Taking care of Will when Phil was on a month-long trip that one time and Will couldn't move had made him an expert at helping people with wings change without looking. 

He put him into one of Wills old sweaters and pairs of sweatpants that had been left here, and wrapped him up in his cloak once he slipped it off his own shoulders and smoothed down his wings.

Seeing him so small and vulnerable wrapped up in his cloak set off a bomb in his mind and he could barely restrain himself from grabbing blankets and making a nest right there. If he made a nest right now though he was unlikely to move from it.

He quickly set off to the kitchen looking through the cabinets to find somethin' Tommy could eat. Newly transformed or born avians never could eat meat for some dumb reason so he was forced to make a thick soup broth out of mainly potatoes, but it included several other vegetables.

He would have added a golden apple to help the healing process but he had no idea how Tommy's system might react with how badly he looked right now. He swept into the living room and begrudgingly moved Steve into the basement for now while he needed the room for Tommy.

He froze as he entered the room, Tommy eating could wait just a minute. He had regained some of his control alright? Tommy was asleep and Techno needed to appease his instincts before he snapped.

He carefully sat down the bowl on a nearby table before speed-walking into his room, pulling a couple extra cloaks and furs out then dragging one of his blankets off the bed. He rushed back into the living room. He arranged the blanket and cloaks into as good of a nest as he could at the moment on the floor with Tommy tucked in the center covered in furs a few feet away from the sturdy grate in front of the fireplace.

This finally made his instincts trill with happiness at seeing the, his, fledgling where they belonged. He stood and grabbed the bowl before walking back to Tommy.

He wasn't gonna lie, the kid looked like shit. Even after getting him out of his torn and frozen clothes, his hair, which was once precious, precious gold, was now dirty, matted, and hung down past his ears. His newly grown wings were tangled and damp from sitting in the snow as well. He had small cuts along his arms and deep red burn scars along his torso. All this he could see more clearly as he looked down on him in the nest.

He was also way too skinny. Even after the hybrid transformation, to be this skinny, he must not have been eating well for weeks.

Once he got a good look he once more sat the broth to the side. He thought they could wait but seeing the injuries with a closer eye he realized he needed to treat them now.

He dug around in a nearby chest, pulling out a roll of bandages and a regen potion and settling himself next to Tommy in the nest. He partially unrolled the wad of bandages, uncorking the regen pot and gently dabbing some onto the fabric. 

He wrapped the bandages around Tommy’s forearms, before gently peeling back part of the sweater to access his torso. He could count all of his ribs with just a glance.

He let out a breath, wrapping bandages around the burn scars littering his torso and letting the sweater and blankets fall back down. Where had he gotten so many burns from? Tommy had never had been that inept with a flint and steel, so what, or who , had done this to him.

Now that he thought about it, hadn't there been a strange amount of holes and charred grass in the ground at Logsteadshire? 

He had thought at the time that maybe Tommy had just been unlucky with creepers, but thinking back on it it was hard to imagine that many spawning in the plains. But that was a problem for later, when he could focus on how Tommy ended up like this and not just fixing it.

Now assured that he had done all he could for now, he grabbed the broth for what felt like the millionth time. He brought it to Tommy’s mouth, gently wedging it between his lips. The kid let out a small cross between a whimper and a peep at this and Techno's pupils dilated with the force of the instincts that hit him

Fledgling in pain, help him, safe, protect, precious, comfort, flock, nest, ours, baby, nestling, afraid, protect protect protect .

A gentle croon rumbled from his chest near-involuntarily and Tommy quieted at that. Though chat only grew louder.

Haha Technosoft

DADNOBLADE!

EEEEEEE

aww farmer

I still say we should kill hi-

TECHNOSOFT L

He let out a groan, Prime, his instincts hadn't been this bad since Phil had brought him home to Wilbur as a kid. It was all he could do to not drop the bowl to comfort the youngling. Once he was sure he wasn't going to lose himself he carefully tilted the bowl upwards, massaging Tommy’s throat to get him to swallow. 

Fuck, he wished Phil were here right now. Injuries he could deal with, but trauma was another story. And this kid clearly had a lot of trauma if his injuries and the way he had reacted to Techno trying to feed him had anything to say.

It took a long time and lots of work but he finally got Tommy to finish the bowl. He forced himself to get up to toss the bowl in the sink. "Chat he ain't gonna die if I leave him for two seconds, calm down," he grumbled, deciding to pointedly ignore how he basically sprinted back to the makeshift nest, a very muffled purr stuttering out as he did so.

As he settled down he took Tommy's new wings very gently into his hands. They were gorgeous, even in their horrible condition. They were mainly a stunning bright red, fading into a golden yellow and lapis blue at the ends. 

Techno wrapped his own deep gray wings around them for a more enclosed feeling, not a crows’ like Phil, but a vultures. He smoothed out the feathers, realigning them into their proper places and angling them towards the fire to dry off.

The feathers still were a bit downy, and Tommy probably wouldn't be able to fly for a bit once he awoke. Once he finished preening his feathers Techno stood up, there was still one more thing. 

He took a nearby pair of scissors and carefully cut Tommy’s hair. Not much but just enough to where it wasn't so matted and hung just above his ears. It didn't mean anything that he knew that was where Tommy preferred it and would never have let it grow out under most circumstances.

Techno then curled up around Tommy in the nest, frowning at how shallow the poor nestlings' breaths were. He fluffed up his feathers and tucked Tommy against him, encasing them in as much warmth as he could to help the poor kid stay warm. It was only so he wouldn't die in his sleep or something alright? 

It was like that he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

There were only a couple things he could remember when he awoke. 

1: His name was Tommy

2: He was an avian

3: However he had ended up where he was, had not been pleasant.

He shuffled around slightly. However much he didn't want to move out of the comforting warmth surrounding him, he had to figure out where he was.

He let out a small warble as he lifted his head up, where-nest-safe? And after he heard a brief shuffling noise, a low coo answered from behind him. Nest-safe-close.

He relaxed for a moment before his mind registered that he didn't know who the answering voice was and he shuffled away with a startled yelp, wiggling out of the comforting blankets encasing him and twisting around. Behind him was a large imposing man with great dark wings.

Half of his mind was screaming DANGER-PREDATOR-FLEE, as he sat staring at the person, and the other half was purring protector-safety-family.

He stood on shaky legs and stumbled back, nearly falling before a strong pair of hands caught his arm and gently pulled him back down into the nest.

"Easy Theseus, don't want you runnin' into the fire grate," the predator / protector rumbled, gently running a hand through his feathers and causing him to melt like butter in the hold. Then he shook his head and sat up, nearly letting out a questioning trill but forcing his mouth to form words.

"Where-" he stopped to cough for a moment. "-Where am I?" He questioned, tilting his head and shifting as he sat in the large man's gaze.

He was so confused. Why did this person seem like he knew Tommy? Why was he taking care of him? He couldn't voice any of this currently though so he hunched his shoulders and ruffled his wings a bit.

"Oh Theseus," that wasn't his name, why did he keep calling him that and why did it feel so natural. "You're in my house. Found you half-dead in the snow, pretty inconvenient gettin' to you, lucky Chat likes you so much," he finished with a small half chuckle.

Tommy didn't know why but something whispered in the back of his mind as the man said that and he began speaking quickly, no matter how much it burned his throat.

 "Sorry, sorry, I was just…I didn't mean to be a problem…" he trailed off there, hands twitching to reach into his empty inventory for some reason. He really had no memory of what he had been doing. Why didn't he? Why couldn't he remember?

His breathing picked up and he grabbed at his hair. Why couldn't he just remember ? It had been at the back of his mind but he hadn't really fully realized it until now. He had no idea what was going on. 

He let out a high pitch keen followed by multiple confused peeps, slumping over into the blankets as he began panicking. For all he knew the person in front of him could've kidnapped him and he'd be helpless!

"Hey, hey look at me Tommy, it's okay. You don't need to tell me what happened, it's ok, I saw the scars just calm down." Funnily enough as the predator-predator-predator, other avian said that he looked just as panicked, staring at him with a strange look of worry and exaggerating his breaths until Tommy locked onto his chest and began copying him, great gasps of air filling his lungs.

Eventually, he was able to breathe without the sharp pain in his chest anymore. He glanced down at his arms, noticing they were wrapped in thick bandages and he could feel a similar fabric around his torso.

The comforting pressure surrounding him significantly helped the process, even if it left him with many questions about why it was there. It was a mix of the bandages pressing against his skin and the blankets and cloaks having been re-wrapped around him while he was trying to regain his breath.

After his brief panic, he was exhausted. He let out a sad chirp, dragging himself closer to the protector-safety-ours . His brain was too tired to continue insisting on the other man's danger at this point while he was still trying to recover. He tucked his head into his chest, letting out a small croon as the man began to rub soothing circles into his shoulder blades between his wings.

"Hey… hey kid you need to drink something."

Tommy just let out a wordless groan at this, shivering slightly and trying to bury himself more in the warmth, fingers digging into his shirt.

He let out a hiss as he was forcefully pushed up, wrapping his wings around himself and glaring angrily. 

"No kid, you need something at least. I would feed you but you've already eaten something a few hours ago and I don't want you makin' a mess because your body can't handle it," he said with a sigh, before switching to looking like he was trying to force down a laugh as Tommy just continued glaring angrily.

At these words a small flicker of a memory came back to him.

"Tommy, I've already let you have food once today. Stop being such an ungrateful brat." "Prime I thought you were better than this, begging for food like some street dog!"

When Tommy finally came to it was to the person sitting next to him again with that nice low rumbling noise as Tommy sat shaking. He had a pounding headache and he couldn't get the words (memory?) out of his head. " 'M sorry. Not ungrateful. You've given me enough," he mumbled out, leaning away from him and averting his eyes, tilting his head just slightly to the side in submission and folding his wings tightly against his sides

"Hey, Tommy it's ok, here." The man said, starting to hand him a cup but noticing his shaking and seeming to think better of it.

He tilted the cup up to Tommy's mouth and he greedily drank all of it, wanting to protest at being treated like he was helpless but he could barely move his arms and figured it wasn't worth the effort.

Once the cup was pulled away he let out a small, high pitched whine, reaching forward with grabby hands. After he did so something twinged in the back of his mind and he pulled his hands back to his chest, looking away as his cheeks flushed with color in embarrassment.

He tried to get himself to say something to defend himself, but when he opened his mouth all that came out was a strangled squawk-like noise, and even that scraped harshly against his throat.

He coughed, hunching over for a moment before laying down into the blankets around him as the coughs subsided. Why did his throat hurt so much? Just another reason he needed to figure out what had happened to him.

When he glanced back at the pinkette he had a slightly concerned look on his face, though it quickly faded once he noticed Tommy looking.

"No more for right now Tommy, you need to be patient," he spoke with a sigh, gently setting the cup off to the side.

Tommy opened his mouth, taking a breath before thinking better of it and shrinking back, twisting his hands into the blankets. The man seemed slightly annoyed, and, and that wasn't good.

There was an oppressive silence for a moment, both of them shifting awkwardly for a moment before the larger let out a defeated sounding sigh, gesturing toward himself. "C'mere. Your hair's all grimy and I know you hate that."

Now that he mentioned that, Tommy was getting really irritated at the feeling of grime against his scalp. He simply nodded and shuffled to sit in front of him, feeling slightly uncomfortable at having his back turned to the other, but hating how his hair felt much more now that he noticed it.

He heard movement behind him, brief shuffling noises that only caused him to grow more agitated as he waited. He let out a quiet chirp in questioning, where-come back-danger? , twisting his head to look to where he could hear the man walking off to.

He came back holding a small sponge and metal pot. Tommy turned back around and leaned into the gentle grip the avian took his head in once he sat back down.

He let out a content sigh as he felt warm water run through his locks and down his scalp. The water ran into the pot the other person had sat just underneath his head. Gentle fingers carded through his curls, scraping the dirt and tangles out.

By the time he was finished the water had turned a murky brown where it sat stagnant in the pot, yet Tommy's hair was at least closer to its original gold, more fluffed up and neat than before. 

Tommy couldn't remember what his hair had looked like before, and while the thought of truly knowing nothing still made his breathing pick up slightly (he wasn't having another panic attack again! ), somehow this felt right .

All Tommy did was let out a small purr, slipping down into the warmth and safety of the nest as the other got up to go put the pan and sponge away.

He still had no idea what to call the other person. Names of 'Theseus' and 'Tommy' slipped from his mouth easily, proving that he must have known Tommy somehow if he could just remember .

Tommy really didn't want to ask what his name was and how he knew him because that would be awkward and rude and he shouldn't put that kind of burden on him. At the same time, it would feel just as weird to keep calling him 'The other' or as his brain couldn't currently decide between, 'predator/protector'.

Yet… this person clearly must've been very close to Tommy with how he was taking care of him. No less close than an extremely close friend or family member would be willing to take care of someone like him like this. And they also had wings, even if they weren't the same as Tommys vibrant ones... Maybe it was worth the gamble…

At least if he was wrong with this it'd be kind of funny and he might not be punished. He somehow knew that was one thing he was actually good at, and maybe it wouldn't be so harsh then.

So as the ashen-feathered man walked back into the room, his footsteps impossibly soft yet also heavy simultaneously, Tommy shuffled closer to him.

He softened as strong arms gently pulled him closer, and the rough sound of the man's low purr started up. 

He took a deep breath, ruffling his feathers quietly before interrupting with a mutter  from under the cocoon of blankets and cloaks, "dad."

" HEEEH??" was what followed, Tommy poking out of the blankets as he tried to scoot away as the man just stared at him with an incredulous look on his face.

"Sorry! Sorry, I just thought with how you were taking care of me… maybe we were related and I can't remember I'm just . Sorry."

The man only seemed to grow more confused at that before a look of understanding dawned on his features. 

Tommy sat shifting back and forth in the blankets, occasionally glancing up at the other as he just seemed to be muttering the same thing over and over as he sat with his hands in his head, "I need Phil I need Phil."

Tommy didn't know who this Phil was but he felt bad for very clearly causing this person to be in distress. Prime, he could never do anything right. Why did he insist on having to make everything worse?

Eventually the other person seemed to calm down and looked at him with a level gaze, something in his eyes that made Tommy feel instinctually wary, an air of cunning about his features as he began to speak.

"Tommy," he spoke carefully, leveling him with a sharp gaze.

"How could you forget your own brother?"

Chapter Text

Now, Techno wouldn't necessarily say that he had lied per se, maybe just a teeny bit of stretching the truth. I mean, Phil had adopted him into the family when he was younger, which would make them brothers right?

Techno had never really been as close to Tommy as Wilbur had been growing up though. He knew that in Tommy’s eyes, he was only ever 'The Blade.' No matter that he would've thrown himself into battle as 'The Blade' for Tommy until his last breath, no matter how many times he had slipped Tommy bits of his precious gold jewelry from his collection because he knew the boy liked how the light would flicker across it while he played with it. 

So when he woke up a few hours after falling asleep in the nest, and realized Tommy couldn't remember who he was, he knew he couldn't tell the truth. The boy won’t be able to handle it. What was he gonna do? Tell him 'Oh yeah I'm the person who blew up your country with withers and executed your best friend with fireworks that one time'? Abso-fucking-lutely not.

 Besides, Techno couldn't deal with how he knew Tommy would react either. If the boy tried to run back out into the snow, Techno ran the risk of getting lost in his instincts. He simply saw an opportunity and took it, no matter how selfish Chat kept telling him it was. 

He now watched the boy who had tilted his head and appeared to be thinking, from one second to another passing. It took him a moment, but eventually he dropped his jaw and muttered, "what the-," quietly.

"I know Theseus, it might be a lot but I'll, Techno by the way, be here for you. I was so worried when you disappeared with your other brother. He convinced you to go when you were too young to know better and you got hurt. I had heard that something had happened to you, that you had gone missing, and then you showed up here injured in the snow. My poor fledgling."

Sue him, he wanted Tommy to like him, no, love him. His instincts had already staked a claim as his his his , now Tommy's needed to do the same, and if he had to use some of the silver tongue Wilbur had used all the time during his descent into madness and manipulation during Pogtopia, then so be it.

Tommy began looking like he was starting to panic at the revelation, small peeps leaving his lips, so Techno gently let a quiet croon rumble out, watching as Tommy softened slightly at the action from his tense and shocked pose, ignoring Chat’s yells.

Ooh manipulative Techno?

BABY TOMS

Gettin good right as I arrive

PHIIIIL TECHNOS MANIPULATING A CHIIILLD

Smart lad

E

Hush Chat, would you rather him terrified and trying to run because he told him the truth? Tommy clearly wasn't being treated well from wherever he had come from in exile, and without his memories, he could end up somewhere worse! It's better if he's bonded with Techno so he can keep him safe.

Tommy's instincts were already clearly starting to choose him as safety as well, if the way he had softened at Techno's croon was any evidence. Techno also slipped one of the golden rings that adorned his fingers off and gently held it out for the boy stating simply, "A gift Theseus, for finally being returned home." 

Now the fact that jewelry was commonly given between avian family members as a way to strengthen their bond might also have something to do with it, but no one needed to know that.

Tommy just stared at it hesitantly for a moment, and Techno could practically see the brief struggle going on in his mind. In the end, Techno clearly must've been right about Tommy's instincts starting to see him as safe, because the boy, his boy, his , eventually took the ring and slipped it on his finger. 

Oh how it gleamed beautiful gold where it sat, slightly loose, on the middle finger of his right hand.

Tommy also seemed to enjoy the gift, his eyes wide as he let out a trill while he twisted the ring around. It gleamed and glittered as the lantern light in the room reflected off of it, the windows outside dark. 

Nether was his sleep schedule going to be messed up after this.

Techno just let out a low warble at this, slowly reaching forward and carding his nails through Tommy's hair, a smirk coming across his features as the boy leaned ever so slightly into the touch.

If his instincts were going to be a bitch and claim Tommy as his? Then he would make Tommy his. And no one, no one, was ever going to put him in danger like Wilbur and Dream had, ever again.

"Here Tommy, want me to preen your wings? They've gotten a bit messed up from all your moving around," he asked, tilting his head slightly and shifting a bit to open up the space in front of him. 

Was it really even a question if Techno fought the urge to hold back a smile on his face as he waited for Tommy to say yes?

Tommy's hesitation seemed to be melting away like dew in the morning sun, as it only took him a few moments as he twisted the blankets with his hands before he nodded, let out a small chirp, and crawled over, setting himself in front of Techno and spreading his ruffled wings out, not seeing Techno's gleeful look as he took the boys wings into his hands with a low purr-like noise.

"You're a real bastard you know, not telling me you were my brother and making me guess and embarrass myself," Tommy quietly muttered, seeming to curl into himself momentarily afterwards with a slight flinch before slowly relaxing as Techno only continued smoothing the downy feathers.

And wasn't that something? That every time Tommy said anything he seemed to expect to be hit or punished afterward? Oh Techno was going to find Dream after this and make him pay for making Tommy like this, favor he owed him be damned.

Before Techno might've made fun of Tommy for how he was reacting, but at the end of the day, they were still family. And now he had staked a claim on Tommy, now his instincts cried in outrage seeing what was his so scared.

Threat-kill-protect-ours-nest-fledgling-make him pay -safety-comfort

Techno agreed with his strong instincts this time, there was no way he could let his nestling be this afraid. He needed to protect him and protect him well to prove he was worthy of taking care of the young avian.

On the bright side, Techno clearly was doing amazing at taking care of Tommy if he was already comfortable enough to gently insult him like that. The fact he believed Techno was his biological brother miiight have something to do with that but he was still great alright?

He let out a small chuckle before replying, "Well how was I supposed to know you didn't recognize me, besides, Phil, That's our dad since you can't remember, will think it's hilarious when he visits." 

Dadza!

SUBSCRIBE T-

Fathers coming and he's crafting a belt

Pretty feathers my beloved <3

TAKE THE WING-

Techno ignored his chat, making a mental note that some of the voices were feeling a bit more violent tonight. He'd definitely have to go out in the morning and kill a few remaining mobs so he didn't end up hurting Tommy. Not like he ever would, but the voices were always a bit unpredictable.

They were probably so furious because of how his poor Tommy had been hurt. Speaking of which, Techno re-aligned the last young feather into place, a small scowl coming across his features as he noticed Tommy seemed to have frozen slightly when he mentioned Phil's name.

Techno tried waving his hand in front of his face, but Tommy didn't seem to react to that so he just gently began rubbing his back like the last time Tommy had froze up. All Techno could guess was that it was triggering small memories in his brain.

Eventually Tommy seemed to come back to himself, slumping in Techno's hold after a few moments and letting out a short chirp.

Techno simply chirped back and cradled Tommy close, tucking both of them under the blankets, cloaks, and furs that made up the nest as he gently whispered "It's ok Theseus, I have you."

One of his wings was sticking out of the blanket, and it was kind of annoying having that one part slightly colder, but it was worth it to comfort Tommy as the boy shook slightly in his grasp.

Tommy seemed to hesitate before he asked, "Techno, did… Did Phil kill someone?" He seemed slightly scared, tilting his head to look up at Techno, wrapping his ruby wings tightly around both of them.

Techno hesitated for a moment, debating on what to say before settling on, "Yes. But… it was to protect a lot of people, he killed someone dangerous, someone that was going to cause harm to others and himself." 

While Techno loved Wilbur, (he was his brother, his flock after all) he had become heavily unpredictable and dangerous during Pogtopia. Events that Techno and Phil weren't there for prior damaged his mind beyond repair.

He hoped Tommy wouldn't fear Phil because of whatever flash of memory he had. While he certainly wasn't going to invite the man right now, It was an unnecessary risk and would just bother the other, he did want to invite the older blond eventually to see that Tommy had finally officially joined their flock. 

He would undoubtedly be much better at knowing what to do with Tommy and handle his trauma. Phil was always better at emotional problems, serving as the mediator between the three siblings many times as they grew up. 

For now, he'd have to figure things out for himself. He had already managed to get the kid to calm down from one panic attack, though he didn't know what to do about how the kid would freeze in his memories, comforting him being something that seemed to help, if only slightly.

He’d have to avoid saying, or nether even doing, too much that could cause flashes of memories, if the kid's instincts hadn’t claimed him whenever he regained his memories of Techno, that wouldn’t be pretty for anyone involved.

“Ok.” was all Tommy muttered, letting out a short warble as he buried his face into Techno’s shirt. Techno just smiled down at him, letting out a low purring noise that reverberated deep in his chest.

Tommy's own small purr began shortly after, and Techno let a triumphant expression come across his features. 

“All will be ok Tommy, don’t you worry. I’ll keep you safe until you have your memories back, and long after.” he assured, running his fingers through the boy's hair and scratching lightly at his scalp.

He tilted his head as Tommy didn’t appear to respond, looking closer before he realized he had fallen asleep. He quietly eased himself into a more comfortable position while still keeping his gentle hold on the boy.

He lay on his side with his wings gently folded behind him and pulled Tommy's back against his chest, tucking his wings in close. All that he could see of Tommy now was his mop of curls and his nose peeking just above the warm cloaks and covers.

He imagined taking Tommy flying once the boy had grown in his flight feathers all the way, the way that his bright red, gold and blue feathers would gleam in the crisp snowy air. The way the sunlight would reflect against his golden hair and the beautiful jewelry Techno would soon adorn him with.

He leaned down and rested his chin on the top of Tommy's head, a peaceful smile upon his features as he fell asleep with Tommy in his arms for the second time that day.

Chapter Text

Tommy blinked open his eyes with a yawn, shifting slightly. He felt something warm pressing against his back and scooted closer, letting out a sleepy chirp as he rolled over and buried himself in the warmth.

As he did so he heard a light chuckle, jerking back for a moment in confusion before he remembered yesterday. As he did so he slumped back into his brother's hold, bringing his wings up and wrapping them around him and Techno.

"Mornin' Theseus, I assume you slept well."

He let out a hum of agreement, nodding gently as he didn't trust his voice just yet this early. 

He let out a groan of protest as he felt Techno stand up, clinging on to the older avian. As he did so a quiet murmur of "clingy" was heard and 

Dark hair with small horns, a bench, a promise, those same eyes that once stared with comradery and teasing jokes now condemning him to solitude without a second glance.

He let out a gasp, yet as he looked around he realized that a few seconds hadn't even passed. Techno stared down at him, appearing confused as Tommy quickly untangled himself from the nest and stood on shaky legs.

That was a mistake

He collapsed back down onto the floor, letting out a hiss. Techno was by him in an instant, eyes wide with worry as he murmured "Easy Tommy, you're still injured y'know."

Tears sprung to his eyes and he quickly swept them away with his fist, a warble of frustration clawing its way out of his throat.

He was so angry already and he had just woken up. He had already had one of those stupid memory flash thingies that made his breathing all fast and his head all mixed up.

He couldn't even stand up without falling to his knees like some newborn fawn either. 

He felt like a toddler, and his stupid birdbrain screaming at him to curl up in the nest and beg for his protector wasn't helping. 

He’ll keep us safe, he’ll protect you, stay in the nest.

Tommy threw himself into Techno’s arms, a high whine crawling out of his throat as he buried his fingers into his hair, tugging on the golden locks and welcoming the sting of pain. He felt calloused hands wrap around his wrists, pulling them away from his hair even as he tensed up beneath the hold.

His gaze flicked up, briefly looking into Techno's eyes before he looked back down.

“Hey hey, Tommy no that’s not good for you.” was heard as Tommy let his arms fall back down, hands curling into Technos shirt instead. He felt bad because he knew he was probably messing up the shirt, his talons probably tearing the expensive fabric. But in the moment all he could feel was relief.

As he lay limply in his brother's grasp he felt the man shift slightly beneath him. “Tommy, I, I need to go out for a little bit. I’ll be back soon I swear.”

Several panicked chirps tore their way out of Tommys mouth at Technos words, curling his talons deeper into his shirt. 

“No, no, I swear I’ll be good. Don't leave me in the nest.” was what he whispered as he buried his face into Technos warmth. 

“Hey, I’m not leaving you, I just have to take care of some things. I would have you come with me but it’s much too cold for you right now. I know your instincts must be crazy though so I’m leaving you with my favorite cloak,” Techno whispered gently as Tommy lay there, fingers carding through his hair. He reached over and gently pulled a red cloak from in the nest, wrapping it around Tommy.

As he eased Tommy back down into the nest and away from him, Tommy quickly began holding on tightly to the cloak. It wasn’t the same, but at least it made it bearable for now.

He buried his face in the soft fabric, opening his wings so he could feel more of it. He looked up at Techno, who had a pained expression as he swept out the door, sword in hand.

Tommy let out a small whimper, curling up tightly in the nest. He shifted as he felt something brush against him. He flipped over, eyes widening as he noticed it was a small ash grey feather. 

He held it close. He felt pretty dumb seeking comfort in a feather, but it was another signal that Techno was still here in a way, and wasn’t abandoning him.

He tightly curled up in the nest, the feather laying close as he tried to convince his panicking brain that Techno was just outside if he needed him.

This ended up not working very well, so Tommy hesitantly got up. He didn’t trust his legs to support him, so he moved in a half crawl. It was hard to force himself out of the nest, his brain trying to push him to stay there. But at this point he was hungry, and he’d find something to eat. 

He wasn’t just trying to distract himself, no, never him.

He shuffled out of the nest, grabbing ahold of the table and pulling himself up to support his weight better. After that he moved his hand onto the wall, leaning heavily as he stumbled his way to the kitchen.

His gaze continually flicked around the house, his instincts convinced that there was a predator waiting to eat him around every hidden corner. Someone (he still couldn’t make out who exactly his brain was scared of) crouching in the shadows, arms ready to leap out and imprison him.

His wings ruffled up defensively, and he had to choke down several scared peeps as he knew that once he started, he’d be unable to stop.

As he leaned on the counter he glanced around, trying to find something to eat. He pulled open various cabinets, and brightened once he noticed some apples in a bag. He dug one out, holding it in one hand as he hobbled back to the nest.

He fell into the tangle of blankets and cloaks, wrapping Techno’s specific red one around himself with a triumphant grin. He bit into the apple, swallowing it.

“Hah! Bitch boy instincts can’t keep me in the nest!” he boasted happily, pointedly choosing to ignore how he was no longer as tense and fearful as he had been before while roaming the house.

So what if he had melted into the warmth and comforting scents of the nest? Didn’t mean he had to enjoy his instincts wailing in his ears like some lost baby bird, even if that was technically what he was.

He finished the apple, tossing the core to the side. His eyes continued to glance towards the door. He was boooored and waiting for his brother to come back was taking too much time. 

He might as well explore where he’d be living for a while. With a groan he forced himself back up, keeping Technos cloak wrapped around him to help mute the cries.

Unsafe, where is protector, stay in the nest

“Shut up brain you’re not helping,” he muttered as he stumbled unsteadily down the hallway, talons curling into the dark wood. 

He hesitantly peeked into one of the rooms, nodding as he noticed it was clearly the bathroom. When he opened the next door he smiled, It was clearly Techno’s. 

There was an armor stand with armor that glowed with the shiny purple that indicated enchantments. A rack of swords that looked so sharp they could cut through metal stood next to it.

His bed was pretty simple in comparison, with a few blankets arranged in a fairly simple nest. A couple different extravagant outfits hung on the outside of his closet, and Tommy couldn’t resist himself from running his hands down the soft material with a low coo. 

The only light in the room came from a window set on the wall just above a desk made out of the same wood as the walls, pale sunlight trickling through it. 

Tommy leaned up on his toes to peek through the window. His breath fogged up the window as he looked out at the snowy plain, tall unmoving trees just barely visible in the distance.

He stared out the window for a while, losing track of time until he heard the unmistakable sound of the front door opening and shutting. As well as the thud of Technos boots until a low growl of “Tommy?” was heard throughout the house.

Tommy was about to call back where he was, but something in the tone of Technos voice combined with the omnipresent feeling in his mind had him crumpling.

Tommy? How many times have I told you you can’t run from me? I’m taking care of you in exile and you try to hide from your only friend, Dream? Tommy, get your ass back here and maybe I’ll let you go without breaking your leg.

There was more flashes but the mention of a name had Tommy coming back to himself, mutters of apologies to Dream stumbling out. Fitting that one of the first things he actually remembered would be of his only friend Dream.

But… Techno was taking care of him now. And he was his brother. He was his friend right? Speaking of the avian, he rushed into the room where Tommy lay. 

He gathered him into his arms, “I thought I lost you. I was so worried when you weren’t in the nest.”

Tommy shifted slightly, the two sides of his mind were at war now. On one hand he wanted to tuck himself into his brother and the safety he offered. On the other hand, the side of him that had gotten some of his memories back wanted to protest, what would Dream think of him?

His feathers ruffled uncomfortably at the dilemma and he glanced up into Techno’s ruby eyes, mirroring his own blue ones.

“Techno, I.. I remembered Dream.”

Chapter Text

As much as Techno had despised the thought of having to leave Tommy alone, there were chores he needed to do and voices he needed to appease that took priority currently.

He had quickly slaughtered the zombies and skeletons lurking at the forest's edge, their magic spilling onto the snow and into him quickly.

He had shot down the creepers who wandered much too close to the cabin for comfort, a quiet hiss as they died being the only noise other than the flapping of his wings as he surveyed the landscape.

He had then moved on to his more normal chores now that the voices had been satiated enough to not risk them taking over. He fed the small groups of livestock that he kept, as well as his growing army of wolves.

Carl had let out a huff as he fed him and changed his bedding, still seemingly annoyed about having been used as a hostage the day before.

Steve had tilted his head when he had used the outside entrance to check on him in the basement. He had seemed annoyed, but a few extra salmon would keep him appeased for long enough.

Besides, there was no way he could let him up there with his Tommy.

The poor boy was already set off at the slightest thing, freezing up and flinching in fear at the smallest hint of anger or annoyance. What would a large polar bear that his instincts would register as a predator do to his fragile state of mind?

And then he had stepped back inside, turning towards the nest with a small smile already on his face. Only for it to disappear and be replaced with a mix of worry and anger when he noticed the boy wasn't there. The anger wasn't towards Tommy and never would be, but to whoever had taken him if that was the case.

His wings fluffed up behind him as he called out for his brother. He began to search the house, and he practically sprinted when he heard whispered apologies coming from his own room.

He dropped to his knees and buried his face in Tommy's hair as he held him close, wrapping his wings close around them. 

When Tommy said that though… He had to restrain himself from going out and finding the green bastard and tearing his throat out with his talons.

Of course the first thing his poor brother remembered was the person who had left him like this.

Homeless Teletubby L

Yo tw for violence?

We literally call for blood on the regular what do you mean my guy

Technos gonna go girlboss Dream

100k rematch

EEF

"Tommy, Dream hurt you really bad. I don't know what you remember but whatever he told you he was lying . I'm the one who's actually taking care of you right now. You're my fledgling."

He could barely keep a low snarl from his voice as he spoke, the only other sign of his rage being how his smoky feathers ruffled around them and the rage smoldering in his eyes.

A small warble then came from Tommys mouth, so he forced the feathers down and rubbed circles soothingly into his back.

"But, I, Dream was the only one there. He.. He was my only friend," was said hesitantly, the younger's shoulders hunching up to his brightly feathered ears.

"I know I wasn't there, and for that I'm sorry. I didn't really know what was happening," he said after taking a deep breath.

"And he wasn't a true friend. He didn't keep you safe. I'll keep you safe. I'll be a real friend, a real brother," he muttered, a low chirp of trust-love-safe slipping out.

No matter how long it took, he'd convince Tommy of Dreams evil. There was no way he could let his poor fledgling care for someone who had wronged him so.

"Here Theseus, lets just head back to the nest for now," he muttered, lifting the teen up and carrying him back to the nest with a gentle rumble in his chest as the young avain curled into the hold without a response.

He lay the younger down and let out a sigh, his mind quieting slightly that he had now found and protected his fledgling. While he was upset that Tommy had gotten up and wandered around the house while he was out, deep down he was also proud. 

He’d much rather have a Tommy who was running around and getting into trouble then the quiet amnesiac brother he had now. He didn't know what he would do if Tommy became another Ghostbur situation. At the very least it didn’t seem like he’d opened any of his wounds from what he could tell.

“Techno… I- are you sure?” Tommy asked as Techno set to changing the wrappings of the various burn wounds. 

Techno let out a hum, “Would a friend really do this to you?” he questioned, gesturing to the half healed scars. 

Thankfully it didn’t seem like they’d impede his future movement much, and were already healing pretty well with the aide of the potion coated bandages. He rewrapped them with a grunt, tilting his head with a soft smile as Tommy seemed to be thinking on his words, giving in with a small shake of the head, even if his expression said otherwise.

He gently scratched at his brothers scalp, leaning back with him in his arms as Tommy let out a ‘brrp!’ at the gesture and leaned into his hand. Even before he developed his wings the kid always had a weird thing where the second you touched his hair he was as malleable as butter.

As Techno sat there, he thought. As much as he hated that the first person that Tommy had been able to remember fully was Dream, it was about as good as he could get. Better someone that Techno could easily refute as evil then someone like Wilbur, or nether even himself, which would bring up a whole slough of new issues.

Tommy undoubtedly had to be tired after his small excursion. Most fledglings slept for most of the first few days after developing their wings, only waking up to eat briefly or with small periods of energy.

And sure enough it wasn't long until the younger fell into a fitful sleep, quiet whimpers occasionally escaping that had Techno permanently sat next to him protectively.

So it was no surprise he was on high alert when Chat started speaking louder.

Oh sick we get more mother hen

Avain lore??

Mans hasn't even rung the bell yet smh…

Yo does anyone else hear that

The last voice in particular caught his attention, as it gave him a moment to stand and spread his wings in front of Tommy a moment before he heard a soft knock on the door. 

He relaxed as he recognized Ghostburs voice calling out, "Hello? Um Techno."

He sighed, letting his wings droop as he pulled open the door to the inky blank eyes of his once brother.

Ghostbur only seemed to brighten though, his now skeletal wings lifting happily as he floated just in front of the door. "Oh hey Technoblade! I thought I'd come to visit since I can't remember much of the last time I wanted to come visit you and I felt like it had been a while," he rambled with a smile, a perfectly naive expression on his face.

"Yeah sure Ghostbur, just be careful, Tommy finally came to me with his wings," he muttered, stepping back slightly to let the gray figure float into the cabin. He seemed excited at this thought, rushing over to the nest and running his hands gently across Tommy's feathers, leaving a momentary trail of blue behind.

"Really? Our Toms got his wings? Honestly Techno I'm glad he came here instead of staying with Dream in vacation. He was using a lot of blue and I was worried. Besides, he might say Dreams his friend but he doesn't have wings like we do," the ghost whispered excitedly, letting out a coo as Tommy curled into the nest, briefly stopping his frantic muttering in his sleep.

Techno eased down next to the other, letting out a non-committal hum instead of letting himself feed into the frustration that Ghostbur had clearly seen what their brother was going through and yet still thought he was on vacation of all things with Dream.

I mean he literally forgets bad things dude

Dream pulled a gaslight gatekeep girlboss on them

¾ sbi curse

ghostbur <3

Techno let out a sigh, leaning his head back. With Ghostbur here he might as well call Phil, and help ease the damage when Tommy would wake up to the face of his dead brother.

He grabbed his communicator, sending a quick text to the other.

Technoblade: yo come to the arctic Tommys here. Don't let government come

Ph1lza: alright m8

With that finished he set to making the house safer, now that he could at least partially trust Ghostbur to keep Tommy safe in the nest.

He installed extra locks on the doors and windows, both as a way to keep anything (cough cough Dream) out, and as a way to keep Tommy in if he tried to escape.

He very much knew what might happen if the fledgling regained his memories of Techno, and while he partially knew their bond would prevent the other from going very far, he was taking no risks.

He finished, making sure he had plenty of essential things nearby, which did include jewlery alright? What was a flock for if not to provide plenty of shiny gold to their little nestling while protecting them. 

He eased himself next to Ghostbur, letting himself have a moment where briefly let his gaurd down, nearly startling as he felt cold fingers touch his hair. He then relaxed as he realized it was Ghostbur gently braiding it. He didn't know how long it had been since he had let anyone touch his hair, but it felt nice. For as long as he had been alone, he enjoyed having a flock again. He could enjoy this for a moment.

And a moment it was, as he heard a sharp rap at the door and stood, pulling the sturdy door frame open to reveal Phil, his shorter appearance doing nothing to ease his icy gaze as his obsidian wings framed him menacingly to anyone who didn't know him as he questioned, "You messaged me?"

Chapter Text

After Techno's just posted video I'm sorry to say that this will be discontinued. I personally can't stomach the thought of continuing to write about someone who is no longer around. I hope that those of you who read this so far enjoyed it but I will be taking my leave.

Edit: So, an update on this with a bit of a more clear head now that I've had time to process. While this fic will remain discontinued for now, I have plans to potentially write another fic in the coming months focusing more on possibly crimeboys. Techno may be mentioned or appear in the background as I'm still working my way up to writing his character again but I've began to become more okay with it after realizing how much work he put into his character and how much he loved his fans and wouldnt want anything to stop us. So if you're interested then I hope you enjoy.