Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

One wouldn’t expect to find comfort at a time like this, but Technoblade had never felt more welcome, more cared for, or more safe than during the zombie apocalypse. 

It had all started a few months ago when a man-made illness had escaped a lab somewhere in Missouri. It was rather deadly, the world shutting down around them as hospitalizations ticked up and deaths trickled in. It took hold of people quickly, spreading from person to person in just moments, symptoms showing after only two days, and hospitalization after only four. The world had watched in silence as people started to die without hospitalization, dropping dead where they stood, too many bodies littering the street to pick up, and there were not enough workers to care. People stayed in their homes, not touching their families, not talking to each other. Soon, entire households went silent. 

Then came the first survivors. Someone had left the hospital feeling brand new, free from the sickness that had spread so fast that no one could even come up with a name. He had strolled out of the white building, free from the clutches of the Virus, just for his car to stall on the expressway and for him to walk out of it with a dazed expression in his eyes.

Apparently, the Virus was done with killing its hosts and had made them empty shells instead.

And it really had to come out of Missouri , of all places.

Half of the population was dead in three months, the Virus somehow finding its way over the ocean to start the process all over again in Europe, and then Asia, and then Africa and Australia. South America fell with North America.

Half of the world’s population was dead in three months. The other half wasn’t dead, not really, but you couldn’t call them alive.

As far as Technoblade knew, he was the only one who was truly alive. Thanks to his farm out in the middle of Kansas, he hadn’t needed to go anywhere for food and supplies. He lived alone, no one knew he existed, and he hadn’t heard that the world had gone to shit until a month after it had all started. The poster had fluttered to his doorstep, escaped from a passing car, baring a phone number to report your sick or dead. It was then that Techno went online to do something besides play Terraria.

He really had no reason to worry, even after everything went dead. Gone were the occasional cars that passed by his house, social media was a silent buzz of automated messages and somehow still cycling ads. Phone lines were down, and even if they weren’t there was no one to call. Radios were crackles of static, and if Techno had gone into town there would have been no one to greet him.

No one but shuffling corpses and the flies that hung over their heads.

Techno was content with all of this. He had survived on his own for almost his entire life. Sure, he mourned the family he had left behind and he felt bad for the world that continued to crumble around him, but if he was the one to avoid it all, he was ok with that.

Now, Techno had to figure things out for himself. When the first corpse had come banging on his door, he had settled a gas mask over his face and had beat it until it wouldn’t move anymore. From there he found to target the neck, which was the main tunnel for the small amount of blood circulation that the Virus needed. Its effect was almost immediate, and the corpse had been disposed of in a pit near the road.

He wasn’t sure whether or not to call the things zombies . They were still people, even if they were dead, and people didn’t exactly call their dead friends and family zombies. These things were bodies, corpses, but they still moved and were out for more victims wherever they could find them. Techno touched on the phrase ‘reanimated-corpse’ and then realized that was a synonym for zombie, and he left it at that.

His quiet life just got quieter, not that it mattered. His routine stayed the same, his animals and crops were healthy, he just had the added variable of zombies shuffling through his land every so often, and he would take to them quickly and dispose of them before they could touch his livestock.

The pit he had dug the first time had filled, so he dug another one.

As the days passed, they got more full, and Techno just resided to calling it part of his routine now. Dig a pit in the morning, fill it up at night, and it wasn’t too hard to get used to.

His farm was rather quiet most days. There was still the shuffling and exclamations from his animals, and always the constant beat of Floof’s tail against the couch or floor. Techno had found her among his animals, a stray feasting on what he had left out for the horses. She had been eager to learn how to herd his sheep or tricks like playing dead and rolling over. She was energetic and feisty and made the days go by faster and the nights seem shorter.

His farm was rather quiet most days. There was still the groaning of zombies that prowled his land, looking for living creatures to infect and take hold of. One of them had gotten into his chicken coop, and only two of the birds had survived the encounter. He mourned the loss of the small chicks but was ready to take on whatever the world threw at him, because he was certain the world was watching him and him alone.

His farm was rather quiet most days, but a car’s engine was not something he had thought he would ever hear again. 

A black, beat-up car pulled into his driveway. The man that had been inside stepped out onto the dirt path that led up to his house. He looked back at the pits Techno had dug for the zombies, and then back to the surplus of livestock behind fences. The man wore green, a radiculous sun hat on top of his head to shadow his eyes, and a gun sat on his hip. He had no sign of rot like most corpses that braved his land, and his motions were quick and made with intention.

This man was alive and on Techno’s doorstep.

Floof started barking from downstairs, just alerting the man more that this place was different from the rest of the world. Stuck in the past, having to adapt to new conditions, but staying domestic and safe despite it all.

“Quit it, Floof,” Techno told her, and she quieted as his footsteps echoed down the stairs and to his front door. He placed a gas mask over his face, knowing the danger of outside contact, only hoping that this man had survived by either staying away or being immune.

The door creaked open, and Techno met the man’s eyes. Floof strayed just behind the open door, guarding her master from unknown dangers.

“Do you have water?” Was the man’s first question. 

Techno had to think about the last time he had heard someone speak to him. It had been ages ago, and the rush came like an oncoming train.

“Are you sick?” Techno then asked him. The man was shorter than him, but older, and would have probably been more susceptible to the virus had he been exposed. Now, he didn’t look that old, but anyone older than Techno was old to him.

“No. I should be, but I’m not.”

It wasn’t the most heartwarming answer. For all Techno knew, he could have not had any symptoms, and his body was slowly rotting from the inside out.

“Yeah, I’ve got water,” he held the door open despite his best judgment. “Don’t mind the dog, she might be curious.”

The man smiled, brushing past him to get through the door. Techno closed it behind them, watching Floof sniff at the air around the man and then settle at his feet. Techno used that as a sign that he was alright, and left his mask hanging around his neck.

“Where you coming from?” Techno asked as he dug a water bottle out of the cabinets. The plumbing had run unclean for a few months now, but Techno had invested in a purifier and iodine tablets years ago and had been using that without fail, always keeping clean water around.

“Michigan, but I’ve been searching around for quiet areas for a few weeks.” He took the bottle with tender hands and downed half of it in two seconds, looking somewhat relieved. “Been a little short on supplies lately.”

“I can tell,” Techno said with a huff as he tossed an egg over to him. The man caught it with a bit of a panic, looking up with confusion. “Hard boiled, I don’t exactly have a plethora of ingredients to work with, though my spices seem to be bottomless.” The man snickered as he rapped the egg against the side of the table and began to peel the shell off.

“How’d you manage out here all on your own?” The man asked him. “Seems like a big farm.”

“Done it most of my life,” he replied. Somehow, if Techno looked close enough, he could see a next-door neighbor sitting at his kitchen table making casual conversation instead of a survivor of the apocalypse scraping for supplies that happened to stumble by his estate.

Techno wasn’t the last person on earth anymore.

“How’d you manage?” Techno bounced his own question back. “I was almost sure I was the last one living on earth.”

The man chuckled, “Funny, I thought the same thing.”

Techno walked over and held his hand out. “Technoblade.”

“Phil,” the man took it. “Mind if I bunk here for a while?”

“Don’t mind at all.”

And that had been the beginning of Techno’s less-than-quiet life. Phil was good at survival, knew how to pillage through forests (not that there were many in Kansas), and how to find which fruits and berries were good to bring back. He could hunt like a madman, and many nights they had rabbits and birds instead of Techno’s never-ending supply of eggs and potatoes. Floof got used to the man, hanging around him as he went hunting, and leaving Techno to feed his animals in peace. 

He still dug a pit every morning.

Still cleared out the zombies at night.

He just didn’t do it alone anymore.

He was content to spend the rest of the world’s days with Phil by his side, just the two of them and their fluffy companion. Sure, Phil had his flaws. He woke up in the middle of the night to look out the window, or at the fire, a dazed look in his eyes as he thought about things he would never tell the world. He was brash, loud, cursed to his heart’s content, but it made up for Techno’s reserved quiet and low chuckle. He was violent and took out zombies like they had personally offended him. 

If Techno knew him any better, he would have said that they did. 

The world was ok like that. The two of them lived, and months passed by. Backstories were shared and hobbies were shown, and the two became the last ones living on the earth.

At least, they both thought so, and there was no one there to prove them wrong.

Chapter Text

“I’ve got a speedy one!” Techno shouted under the cover of stars. Phil shouted out his own exclamation as Techno took off over the expanse of Kansas fields. He whistled for Floof as his shoes dug into the grass, a fluffy white dog at his heels.

Ahead of him, there was a corpse, clothes torn, faded, and dirty as it clung to its pale green skin. Most zombies that the pair ran into were slow, perfectly content to stumble forward and get a chance to lay their hands on them. Techno hadn’t been touched just yet, and it seemed that Phil was mainly immune to the Virus that had been plaguing their lands.

This one, however, could run just as fast as Techno. It was unusual, but not impossible to see one of these creatures with a more intact brain. While Technoblade wouldn’t normally chase after a creature that had run this far from his home, it had more intelligence than most and could easily come back to hurt his livestock.

Techno’s breath hitched in his lungs, trying to keep going, pressing himself further. If he reached out he might just brush his fingertips over the clothes of the corpse but wasn’t close enough to grab and keep it there.

“Floof!” Techno whistled for the dog to race ahead of him. If she could sink her teeth into the creature's leg, Techno would have just enough advantage to grab it and pin it.

She did just that, pulling at the corpse’s shoe so that it stumbled. Techno reached out with his gloved hand, throwing it to the ground and gripping his knife. The body fell onto the grass, leaving a small exclamation from the zombie as it was pinned.

“Wait!” a voice cried out. “Wait, wait, wait please !”

Techno stalled, watching the zombie move its mouth and form words .

He immediately did a scan and saw the green tint to the body’s skin and the dulled glossed-over eyes on its face. Techno felt no warmth underneath his leather glove and moved his eyes over to the zombie’s shoulder where the skin had been ripped open and was rotting.

“Hey- look, mister, I didn’t mean any harm- I’m trying to- to just-”

“How are you talking?” Techno asked what looked to him to be the reanimated body of a twelve-year-old boy. He had blonde hair, dirty with blood and soot, and the rest of his body was covered with the same stuff.

“Because I can fucking talk?” The boy questioned and then immediately doubled back. “Wait, I didn’t mean it like that! Mister, I’m sorry, just don’t kill me and I’ll be as far away from this place as you want me to-”

“You’re dead,” Techno stated. “You are dead, right?”

The boy finally rested his head against the grass, not squirming too much against Techno’s grip. “I mean, I think so. Kinda woke up like this, and I don’t have a heartbeat or anything so.” Technoblade checked this for himself and nodded when he didn't feel a heartbeat in the kid’s chest.

“How-” Techno started to question and then didn't really know how to finish. Somehow the boy just laughed.

“Life finds a way right? That’s at least what my brother used to tell me before he… ya know.” He made a slicing motion with his finger against his throat. “But I promise, mister, I’m not going to go near your farm again. I was just hoping it was empty like every other place around here and I could build a fire.”

“What would you need a fire for?”

The kid’s mouth opened to answer, but a yell echoed across the field. Phil came running up to him with Floof at his heels. Apparently, the dog had found the situation troubling and had gone to fetch help.

“What’s going on, Tech?” Phil asked as he breathed heavily from the run. “Who’s this?”

Techno and the kid looked at each other for a split second.

“Phil,” Techno drew out his name. “This one can talk.”

For the past couple of months, the number of zombies roaming the countryside of Kansas had gotten bigger. Phil and Techno always chased after them at night before they slept, taking them out quickly and shoving them into trenches that they spent hours digging by the road. They searched the bodies for supplies when they looked interesting, like hospital workers that still had bandages and pills stuffed in their pockets, or women who wore jewelry that they didn’t need anymore. They assessed the smarter-looking ones before they killed them, trying to figure out what made them so different.

“I’m Tommy,” the zombie said. “I really didn’t mean any harm.”

“You don’t want to kill us?” Phil did a good job of keeping his voice level even with the added shock factor of this new revelation.

“Not really, not interested in eating brains or whatever,” he rolled his eyes. “I was just drawn to the light and the animals, thought maybe I could build a fire.”

“What do you need a fire for?”

At this, Tommy backed off. “I- well, I’m just a- I know I’m like dead and shit but… I’m cold.”

Techno watched as Phil immediately fell into sympathy. Despite his cold-hearted ways of hunting, he always had sympathy and pity for the domesticated animals and Techno himself. Techno asked about it once, and Phil had just said that it was the after-effects of his wife’s miscarriage. He was supposed to be a father and had spent a long time hoping he would be, and now that he wasn’t, he wanted to do what he could for the world.

Tommy was hesitant in the silence. “I- I just- d- don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not like grasping for sympathy and shit, I just-” he sighed, “I’m just fucking cold.”

It was summer. August in Kansas. At night it was 98, and though Techno had gotten mainly used to it, sweat still poured down his back.

His body would have no real way to retain heat if most of his vital organs had stopped working. Techno wasn’t even sure how the kid had run as fast as he did without a working heartbeat.

“Tech,” Phil looked kindly from Technoblade to the kid he was still pinning. He finally managed to pull himself off, the kid finally relaxing a little bit as the weight left him. He sprung up, standing at about the same height as Phil, which seemed really tall for his age.

“We’ll get you to a fire, mate,” Phil smiled. “As long as you promise not to go near any exposed skin or animals. And don’t go biting the dog.”

Tommy snorted, a bubbling laugh before he nodded.

Techno wore his mask when he went out, wary of the disease that could be spread through the air. He didn’t like to keep it on, did it knowing it was a precaution, but he wondered if he might be able to take it off around Tommy. He had clearly fallen to something, turned before he had the chance to recover, but if he hadn’t received the airborne Virus… maybe he wouldn’t have it at all.

“Tommy,” Techno said, watching the kid turn toward the calling of his name as they walked. “How did you turn?”

The world had gone too quickly to come up with real terms for anything, so Phil and Techno had come up with their own vocabulary for it all, relying on some apocalyptic movies and books to help them out. They decided to rely on the word turn to explain the process of becoming a zombie.

The kid either had a high literacy or had heard the word somewhere else because he understood immediately. “My shoulder got torn up while Wil and I- my brother- were running. We lived in a city, so it was harder to stay down and everything. I skinned it against a brick wall or something, and when one of the fuckers touched me I was done for.” He pointed to his shoulder, not bleeding, but rotting clearly. “Thing’s gotten worse after I woke up. Rotting and all. Glad I can’t smell.”

“I’ve gotten used to that smell by now,” Techno grumbled, Phil nodding also.

“What happened to your brother?” Phil asked, moving from one hard subject to the next.

Tommy didn’t hesitate before telling the story, but he was a bit more sensitive. “Found him dead a few blocks from where I woke up. Something got him in the head. I threw up and then ran as fast as I could away. I didn’t realize until later that I was, well, dead too.”

Tommy shivered, and Techno couldn’t tell if it was from cold or from memories.

“I miss him,” he said quietly. “It’s been a month and I still haven’t really accepted it.”

Phil’s eyes were simmering with an emotion Techno really hadn’t seen him wear before. He ran a hand through Tommy’s curls as they walked, Tommy’s eyes going wide at the contact but leaning into it like it would be the thing to save him.

“Don’t you think you’re going to get sick?” Tommy asked as Phil kept his hand on the boy’s head.

“I think I’m only prone to the injected form,” the man explained. “Though Techno over there is open to all three.”

Airborne, contact, injection. Techno had been very lucky.

“You don’t have to worry about me, big man,” Tommy looked up at him. “I’m like Phil, injection only. I won’t give you the Virus.”

Techno scoffed before pulling off his mask, watching the kid smile in return.

God, this kid was endearing. Bright smiles beside the fact that he was literally dead. He had made it all the way here from a city without his brother. At twelve-ish years old he was optimistic and apologetic, and all he wanted was warmth.

The house was bright in the distance, the yard clear from zombies thanks to Phil, though one or two had still yet to be moved to the road. Tommy looked between the two of them, and Techno knew that even if this kid was dead, he was going to protect him for as long as physically possible.

“Can I ask you two a question?”

They both nodded, looking to the kid. 

“Are you the last living people on earth? I haven’t seen anyone else but my brother in months.”

“Not sure, mate,” Phil answered for the two of them. “We think so, and that’s alright with us.”

The kid smiled despite that, like he couldn’t believe his luck, and then looked down at the ball of fluff that had started to stare at him suspiciously from his feet.

“Floof,” Techno laughed, “He’s alright. Tommy won’t hurt us.”

She paced around the three pairs of feet, barking a confirmation before taking off through the fences. Tommy clearly wanted to chase after her but was still stuck on something. 

“Did you just call them Floof?”

Phil kept himself from laughing as Techno looked unamused at the criticism in Tommy’s tone. 

“She’s a little fluff ball, what else do you want me to call her?”

“Looks like a Lucy.”

“I am not naming my dog Lucy .”

“It’s better than fucking Floof !”

All three of them laughed as they settled on Techno’s front porch. Floof immediately raced in as soon as Phil cracked open the door, but he stalled at Tommy. 

Phil looked over at Techno, who gave him a questioning stare. 

“Maybe we should leave the fire outside the house. I don’t feel like starting up the fireplace in one hundred-degree heat.”

Tommy’s mouth dropped open. “It’s a hundred out here?”

“It’s August in Kansas, what else would it be?”

“I don’t know! I feel like it’s snowing.”

Another flash of sympathy from Phil and all of them settled near the fire pit outside the farm. Techno went to get firewood from behind the house, and Phil searched for kindling. Thankfully, Techno’s lighter still had fuel and they didn’t have to start the fire completely on their own. 

In half an hour or so, a twelve-year-old was sitting right next to a burning flame, finally having stopped shivering every couple of minutes. Techno and Phil watched Tommy from a little farther on, trying not to get heatstroke from sitting too close in this weather.

They watched as Tommy’s eyes drooped, finally resorting to laying down on the soft grass near the fire. He fell asleep in minutes. 

“Did we just watch a zombie fall asleep?” Techno whispered, Phil just chuckling.

“He’s something, isn’t he?” Phil said as he laid his head against Techno’s shoulder. “A little angel.”

“He should be an angel, instead he’s come back like he’s got unfinished business.”

Phil sighed, “I’m glad we’re helping him.”

“It’s not like life changes too much around here,” Techno said like he didn’t care. He did, though, because Tommy was not only something he had never seen before, but he was kind and funny and loud, and he broke the quiet up even more than Phil could sometimes. 

Techno was curious, and he really hadn’t been curious before. He was content, mostly. He didn’t like braving the unknown, he just stayed at his farm and did what he needed to. That was why he was still here, living, breathing, against all odds.

He was curious about what life could become if Tommy stuck around.

Chapter Text

Tommy woke up shivering but brushed it off as quickly as he could. He raced up to Phil and Techno, eager to start the day and learn about all of the animals.

Tommy had felt warm for the first time in weeks last night. For the first time, he didn’t stay up all night shivering or had to knock himself out so he didn’t get bone-deep exhaustion. He had felt his eyes drop on their own and his body sink into the grass. 

There was just that little bit of hesitation where his brain asked a simple question. The one thing he needed, warmth, he had gotten. Was he done now? Was he through with his life?

Apparently not, because the fire had died sometime during the night, and when the warmth receded, Tommy pushed his eyes open. His body shook on its own, but he tried to push it to the back of his mind. It was a hundred degrees out here, after all, he should have been sweating, not shivering.

As much as Wilbur had called him stubborn for all of the years they had known each other, Tommy felt like he had a high level of acceptance in him. He had woken up that one morning to the fact that he was dead, rotting, and coherent, and managed to shrug it off and go in search of shelter. 

The thing he didn’t accept was that his brother was dead. Tommy had seen him, his body sprawled out on the sidewalk with dozens of others, and he still couldn’t believe that he was dead. Maybe it was the fact that Tommy hadn’t been able to look past his neck. Tommy hadn’t seen Wil’s face, so how could he have known for sure he was dead?

It had been weeks, and somehow Tommy was still stuck on the first stage of grief.

But he was accepting of everything else. He accepted Phil’s looks of pity when he asked for a fire, and he had accepted that Techno’s dog was named Floof even though he made fun of it, and he had accepted that he had just met the last two living people in the world and had decided to make the best of it. 

His bones were heavy, but Tommy had energy for the first time in a long time.

“What are we doing today?” Tommy asked Techno at the first crack of dawn. The man huffed and waved him over to the farm.

“Don’t bite anything,” he said as probably a precaution, like Tommy had zombie instincts or something and would immediately go for the pigs. Tommy rolled his eyes in response and followed the man eagerly into the pens. 

Sheep were first. They had to be let out into the fields early so they could graze all day and be returned at night to their safekeeping. Techno explained how Floof was still new to herding them, and she was small too, which made it harder to rile them up. She looked like a sheep though, with all of that white fur, so the lambs had adapted and listened super easily. 

Tommy trotted behind the dog like a second pup, making Techno chuckle from where he stood. Floof had gathered all of the fluffy white creatures in a group to push them past the pens, out of the farm, and into the fields. Techno whistled commands that Floof listened to most of the time, only stepping in himself when she didn’t remember certain tones. The sheep got there safely, and Techno introduced Tommy to the lambs. 

There were two of them, twins. The first was still a little shaky on his feet while the other trotted along happily next to his mother. Techno herded the three separately so he could keep an eye on the first lamb, who he said had been having some issues. When the first eventually stumbled, Techno scooped him up like he was nothing and followed the mother along to the open field. Tommy got the chance to pick up the second lamb, laughing at the warm coat pressed against his. Most of the sheep had been shaved for the summer already, but the lambs still had curly coats growing in, even if they were thin.

“Have you named them?” Tommy asked eventually.

Techno shook his head, “Never really got around to it with all of the little one’s issues.”

“Can I?”

“Be my guest.”

He knelt down in front of the sturdy lamb, the second one. Purely white and confident on his legs, prancing about like he owned the place. “Tubbo,” he named the kid, a pang of sympathy in his chest as he remembered his school friend, one whom he had no idea where he went. He then walked over to the one shaky on his legs, a little taller, a little thinner, and with a darker coat. “Ranboo.”

Techno raised his eyebrow but didn’t say anything as the two and their dog returned to the farm, Tommy checking back one more time to look at the lambs. He was sure his missing friends would be happy, even though he knew Tubbo would roll his eyes and go stop making fun of my hair I do not look like a goat .

Tommy smiled, entering the barn again. 

Pigs were next, and they were easy. The only job Tommy was given was to pour whatever the fuck they ate into their trough and watch them all snort happily. Techno weighed one of the bigger ones, marking something down on his sheet.

“Watcha writin’?”

Techno glanced up, “I’m weighing her.”

“For what?”

Techno sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. “I’m finding out if she’s ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“Oh come on, Tommy, please don’t make me say it.”

“Say what ?”

Techno picked the pig back up and placed her back in the pen, happily trotting over to join the others by the trough. “Have you ever had bacon before?”

Oh…

Well, that was not exactly a pleasant thought.

“... is she ready?”

Techno shook his head, “Not for a few more weeks, probably.” Tommy breathed a sigh, sparing a glance of sympathy to the pig. It wasn’t like he hadn’t ever eaten meat, or hadn’t known where it came from, it was just… it felt different while you were staring at them.

“If it makes you feel any better, not all of the pigs are used as livestock. Phil and I use them so we don’t waste food scraps, because they’ll eat almost everything.”

“Don’t you make compost?”

“Sometimes, but we have other means of obtaining fertilizer.”

Tommy had to think about that for a minute before scrunching his nose up and shouting “EW-”

He had woken up all of the chickens, so that was their next stop. 

The house was small, but the fence surrounding their space was generous. They didn’t need to graze like other animals, so their sun time was limited to a few hours during the summer months. Techno opened the door for them and gave Tommy the bag of seeds to scatter along the ground. It was mostly sunflower seeds and corn kernels, and Tommy had to say it was much more pleasant to scatter than the pigs’ food. He only laughed when the birds tried to fight over certain clumps, Techno having to come over and separate them with his shoe.

Tommy then got to see Techno pull out all of the eggs they had laid, half a dozen.

“You don’t have a lot of chickens,” Tommy observed. “There's more room in the pen.”

“I used to have twelve and a few chicks,” he replied with a huff. “But a zombie got into the pen and took out all but two.” Techno pointed over to a dark grey feathered bird, “Phil found that one stray, living on the remains of a ranch not too far from here.” He then pointed at three more, “Those are the younglings, just started laying, hatched early spring.”

Tommy had known it was August, Phil and Techno told him so, but his phrases really set the time frame all into perspective.

The virus had gone out in February, sending Wilbur and Tommy to live isolated in their small home in the middle of the city. It had seemed like ages had passed, and Tommy hadn’t ever left, that was just Wilbur, and only for supplies. They didn’t keep track of the date, barely even the time, but Tommy still had a hard time realizing that they had spent half a year in that home of theirs.

Just for it all to go to shit, for their house to be overrun, and for them both to die in the process.

“What’s the next stop?” Tommy tried to take his mind off of it as they dropped off the eggs inside the kitchen, where Phil had finally gotten up to start making breakfast.

“Hmm, you choose,” Techno smiled. “Cows or horses?”

And though Tommy was very intrigued at the thought that this man had managed to keep horses during the zombie apocalypse, his answer was already set in stone.

“Cows!”

“Have you ever milked a cow, Tommy?” Phil asked from where he stood behind the counter, a hot pink apron around his middle.

“Nope! But I know a lot about them, they’re my favorite animal!”

“Well, you’re about to learn,” Techno waved him out the door again. “I’m not going have good working hands on my farm and not have them know how to milk a cow.”

Tommy skipped excitedly over to the cows, happy to see that they weren’t your standard black and white that you saw in most children’s books. They were light brown except for one that was light brown and white, and then a bull off to the side that Techno said he had kept just in case he needed to breed his own. He was glad that he had done that because there wasn’t exactly anywhere to get a cow at this time.

Techno handed him a bucket that was heavier than he expected, telling him to wash it out again. He washed it after every time, but also before to make sure nothing else was left behind. Techno washed out the two other buckets but said that they would only be keeping Tommy’s batch for today. They would let go of the rest, they didn’t exactly need three buckets of milk, as much as the two of them drank.

“Check the udders for me, make sure they’re clean,” Techno told him after the bucket was brought back. Tommy did his check, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. 

“What’s her name? My cow.” Tommy asked before they could continue. 

Techno shrugged, “I don’t usually name my animals. Floof was for training, and our rooster, Blitz, was completely on impulse.” He pulled the two front udders in succession onto the ground, checking the contents before bringing the bucket under. “Name her for me.”

“Henry.”

Techno took a minute to look up with confusion. “You clearly know she’s a girl.”

“Yep. Henry.”

Techno shrugged before showing Tommy how to milk the front quarters first, squeezing them alternately until nothing came out, then switching to the back. Tommy found the motion to be rhythmic, and Techno did it so comfortably that he could have probably done it in his sleep. Tommy got a feel for it pretty quickly, laughing and joking with Techno until both of them were done. Techno told Tommy to bring his bucket inside to Phil as he milked the last cow.

When Tommy came back out, he was told to give the bull some attention. Tommy talked to the bull all about women as Techno finished up, cleaning the udders and dumping out the two pails among his potatoes. Apparently, it was his secret to making them grow so quickly, it was great fertilizer.

After setting them out to graze, Techno brought Tommy over to see his horses. 

There were two of them, both male. The elder was Carl, a horse that was clearly near and dear to Techno. Techno whispered some phrases to the horse, petting him and brushing out his coat. The second was Charlie, one that was much shorter but still just as pretty. Techno told him that Charlie was three, while Carl was seven. It made them both relatively young.

“Ever ridden a horse, Tommy?”

“I rode a pony at a fair once,” he said, “Does that count?”

“It shouldn’t,” was Techno’s reply. He checked his watch, “How warm do you want your breakfast?”

Tommy… cringed.

“Um, well, it wouldn’t really bother me either way…”

Techno’s lips pursed, a question on his tongue before it dissolved. “Right, zombie. You can’t eat, can you?”

Tommy shook his head sadly. As much as he appreciated it, as much as he wanted to because it probably tasted great, he wouldn’t be able to keep it down for more than a few minutes. He just… didn’t need to. 

“Great, more time for us, then,” Techno opened the horse pens, petting Carl on his shoulder as he led him out. “Care for a morning trot?”

Tommy smiled, opening Charlie’s pen, and asking Techno if they needed saddles.

The answer was no, and Tommy didn’t think he had this much fun in a morning since before the apocalypse.

—

“Where have you two been?” Phil said without bite as they walked in. Techno was laughing, Tommy shivering. “It’s practically lunchtime.”

“We took Carl and Charlie out!” Tommy proclaimed. “It was so cool! Without saddles and stuff too! I felt like a cowboy.”

“A cowboy in Kansas,” Techno chuckled. “I’m assuming my eggs are cold.”

“Practically frozen,” Phil scolded. “You two, at the table. Eat something.”

“I’ll pass,” Tommy immediately shot up, “Won’t keep it down. Water is good, though.”

Phil’s eyes widened before they eventually settled. He nodded knowingly. “Think you can brave some of that milk you worked so hard for? I’ll water it down for you.”

Tommy smiled, “That sounds good to me.”

Chapter Text

Tommy watched the flames dance as the sunset dipped behind them.

Techno and Phil watched Tommy.

Techno wasn’t sure what to make of him. The kid was endearing, loud, talkative. He was willing to help out, curious, and ready to learn. He was fast and energetic, practically buzzing, and adapted quickly.

If you didn’t look too closely at his eyes or shoulder, you wouldn’t think there was anything off about him at all. He was a lively twelve-year-old boy, ready to take on the world. 

Techno still had trouble accepting this. Something should have been off about him. The Virus had taken hold of his body, something no one had survived. The Virus was deadly because it had a mind of its own. It knew how to kill you, and it knew how to keep you alive just enough to work for it. Natural immunity was something people would have from an evolutionary standpoint, but no one was supposed to… what did you even call it? Tommy didn’t survive, he practically resurrected.

Techno had, by all luck, avoided the virus. Phil had, by all luck, not managed to be bitten.

Tommy had bypassed all luck and come back from the dead. His heart wasn’t beating, his lungs weren’t breathing, his skin was rotting, and his eyes were dull and lifeless, but everything else pointed to the fact that he was alive .

It made no sense.

Zombies were something different from Tommy. They were shells that the Virus had reanimated to keep spreading the Virus without the fight of the person’s immune system. The person was still dead, the Virus had control of the body, and the world had learned to accept that.

Tommy wasn’t something that was supposed to exist. The Virus had killed his body, but not his brain. He had control over himself still, which meant that his body was functioning, which meant that his brain was still alive, which meant that the Virus couldn’t have killed him.

But his heart wasn’t beating. His lungs weren’t breathing.

Was he dead or alive?

“You can’t really be both, can you?” Phil asked as Techno expressed his thoughts. “You can’t be two opposites at the same time. You can’t move both right and left.”

“No, you can’t.” Techno watched the boy sitting close to the fire, his mouth finally having stopped moving in order to take in as much heat as he could get. “Yet, there he is.”

“What could have caused it?”

There was some kind of error written in one of their DNA codes. Either Tommy’s code had forgotten to shut him down, and he just popped back up after he was finished dying, or the Virus that had gotten into his body had forgotten to take over his brain and had let Tommy keep his controls.

“Maybe,” Techno smiled, “He was just as brain dead before, so it didn’t do anyth- HEY I’M JOKING!”

Phil punched him in the arm again, knocking him to the side and sending them both laughing. They sprawled out on the grass, looking up at the stars. 

“I’ve never seen so many,” Tommy said from a little ways away, making Techno raise his head to look at the boy. “The city was always so bright.”

Tommy had his head down on the grass, right up next to the fire. The clothes Phil had lent him were just a little big, and Phil was worried that the shirt he had on would catch fire from sitting so close. Techno laughed it off, calling him a worried old man, and the three had fallen into laughter again.

Back when Phil had just shown up, Techno had wondered how long it would last. Phil had just asked to bunk here for a bit, not saying when he would leave, if he would leave. At first, Techno was happy he would have company for a few days, someone to talk to and show the farm. He could ask questions about the outside world and what was happening.

Then, a few days turned to a few weeks. Techno wondered when the man would leave, if it would be sudden or if he would give him a little time to say goodbye before he went on searching for whatever he was looking for again.

Then he hoped Phil would never leave, and when Techno finally asked him about it, learned Phil hadn’t even thought about leaving Techno’s farm. Techno’s farm became Techno and Phil’s.

Techno was already on stage three with the boy. He wanted to protect him, make sure nothing hurt him again. He knew Tommy was missing his older brother, he had mentioned backhandedly that both he and Wilbur were about the same age. They had the same brown eyes and laughed at the same jokes. 

Tommy had only been there for a day, and he had already mistakenly called Techno Wilbur. 

Tommy had already been there for a day, and Techno had felt love in that gesture.

It was like the two were already brothers. They knew their way around each other, poking buttons, and messing with one another. They fell into those slots so easily, and Techno didn’t want it to end.

He wondered how it would end, when it would end. It had to eventually.

Techno was the most normal person in the world, he had survived by pure luck.

Tommy was the most abnormal person in the world, both dead and alive in the same.

“Can you name any constellations, Tommy?” Phil asked when the silence went a little longer than intended.

“I know Orion,” Tommy answered. “But that comes out during the winter.”

“Do you know what Scorpius looks like?” Phil pointed up to the sky. “It’s got the hook and then five points on the other side, like a fan.”

Tommy was quiet, searching. “I think I see it.”

“Saturn is out, as well,” Techno said, looking up to a bright pinpoint of yellow that stood out against the sky. “The big dot of yellow to the left. If I had a telescope we probably could see the rings.”

They were silent again, the quiet settling in waves. It was calming, though. There was the quiet brushing of the wind over the sky, the small exclamations from animals that weren’t asleep yet. As Techno continued to look over at the kid, the more still he got. The quiet up and down of Techno’s chest was not matched in Tommy’s, his movement ceasing altogether, eyes dropping closed. 

Techno wondered if Tommy was asleep, or if his dead inside was trying to claim him. 

“Why would Tommy need to sleep?” Techno asked Phil quietly, hoping not to wake Tommy. “He isn’t digesting anything or restoring energy.”

Phil hummed a small response. “Maybe it's to save memories?”

That would make sense, Techno thought, but there had to be more than that. He was sure that the body could still save memories while it was awake, and he wasn’t sure why Tommy needed to save his memories at all. The Virus wouldn’t want him to remember anything, so why was it letting him sleep?

“Do you think he might be trying to fight it off?” Techno breathed. “The Virus?”

Techno couldn’t see Phil, but he could feel him tense. 

“He would need energy to do that. Food that he can’t eat.”

“He needs energy to do anything he did today. I don’t understand how he does any of it.”

That was a simple fact of the known universe. You needed food and water to live, to convert into energy so that you could move and keep your heart pumping and laugh. 

“He’s not doing about half of the things we do as humans,” Phil answered. “The energy he has stocked up would probably last longer with him. His heart isn’t beating, he’s not breathing.”

“It’ll last longer,” Techno repeated. “Not forever.”

The silence was a little bit more uncomfortable after that. 

“If he is fighting off the Virus,” Phil whispered over the crackling of the fire. “What will happen if he wins?”

The only thing his body was living on was its leftover energy and the override of the Virus.

If he got rid of it…

“That Virus is the only thing keeping him alive,” Techno stated as sure as anything. “We won’t let him beat it. If it looks like something is happening, we’ll put it in his body again. He lived through one injection. He can do it a second time.”

Neither Phil nor Techno was too sure about that. They could hope that a second dose would make him stronger and let him live longer, but neither of them could be sure.

Neither of them was a doctor, no one had done this before. They barely knew what they were talking about. For all they knew, Tommy wouldn’t be waking up again.

“We’ll be careful, keep an eye on him.”

Techno nodded, feeling Phil’s hand wrap around his. Despite the heat of the summer night, it was comforting. 

Neither of them went inside the house to sleep, joining Tommy on the soft grass and letting the stars shine onto their faces.

Chapter Text

The next few days went by quickly. Tommy was eager to help around the farm, helping the lambs, feeding the animals. On the third day he had asked to milk all three cows, and Techno couldn’t find it in his heart to say no. 

Tommy never ate anything, which concerned Phil more than it concerned Techno, but both of them had the same stances on his shivering. Whenever he pushed himself, his body would start shaking violently, and the two of them were quick to get him to the fire.

The fire hadn’t stopped burning in two days, Techno putting more logs in every hour to keep it going. Tommy spent all of his free time by it. Phil once had gone through Techno’s closet and pulled out all of his jackets and sweaters just to pile them onto Tommy, but they had quickly learned that it was both impractical, and Tommy didn’t have any body heat to keep in. 

The three of them slept near the fire under the cover of stars. Techno had never been so glad that it didn’t rain much where he lived because he had no idea what he would do if the sky decided to open and rain down on the only source of heat Tommy had.

Techno got up at the crack of dawn on the fourth day of Tommy staying on his farm. The kid was up like he always was, but was quiet and sitting in front of the fire that Tommy had probably moved logs to himself. Techno looked over at his dwindling pile of firewood and hoped he could go out and search for more soon.

“You ready to help out, Tommy?” He asked the boy, who was startled at Techno’s words. He smiled softly before scooting closer to the burning embers.

“I- I think I’ll stay here f- for a little longer.”

Techno couldn’t tell if his stutters were from nerves or if he was cold.

“Are you doing ok?” Techno went to sit next to the kid, trying to ignore the heat that made sweat pool down his back. 

“I- um, yeah, I’ll be alright in a few.”

Techno reached over to the kid, placing the back of his hand against Tommy’s forehead. He felt like he had been sitting in an icebox.

“You aren’t retaining any heat, are you?” Tommy looked down at his words, finally letting go of a shiver. “How’s your shoulder?”

“Bad.” Tommy’s short and soft word made Techno wince. Tommy pulled down his shirt collar past his shoulder, letting Techno see the extent of the wound. The decay had passed just the wound, now creeping down his arm and up to his neck. The flesh was exposed, dried blood crowding the edges. Techno wondered if that hint of white was bone.

“I’ll find something to wrap it,” Techno said as he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it before. “If you can wake Phil up for me-”

“Sure,” Tommy replied softly. It pulled at Techno’s heart as he stood up and went into the house.

He searched through his medicine cabinet and first aid kit, finding gauze and ace bandages that were exactly what he needed. He fed Floof before returning to the fire where Phil was talking softly with the boy.

“Take your shirt off for me.” Tommy complied.

Techno wasn’t the best at reading expressions. He had a hard time expressing anything himself, but the look on Tommy’s face was something painful. He looked embarrassed, in pain, and out of it at the same time. He had come back from helping with the farm yesterday with a smile, and Techno wondered if it was faked.

He wondered if Tommy had been able to feel pain this whole time.

Techno wrapped Tommy’s shoulder in a soft layer of gauze, and then pressed it down with the ace bandage. Tommy kept his eyes shut, holding his arm out and clenching his fist.

“Try that,” Techno found himself saying. Tommy moved his arm up and down, smiling a bit as the bandage kept it together. 

“Thank you.”

But he was still cold. He shook softly, leaning as far as he could into the fire without touching it. Techno glanced at the sky and took note of where the sun was, Phil glancing up with him.

“Go take care of the farm, Techno.” Phil placed a hand on Tommy’s other shoulder. “I’ll stay here.”

Tommy began to protest, “You don’t have to do that, Phi-”

“But I will.” The man’s kind smile lit up the world, and Techno knew Tommy was in good hands.

The day went by in a blur. Tommy didn’t get up from the fire. Techno helped the farm, made food for himself and Phil, and went out in search of firewood as he hacked down an abandoned barn not too far from his.

When he returned, Tommy was by the fire and Phil had a look in his eyes that Techno didn’t like.

“He’s struggling, Tech,” Phil told him as he refueled the fire. “He told me that his shoulder didn’t really hurt before, but now it feels like he has frostbite.”

Techno could barely imagine. “I have painkillers?”

“He can’t digest anything, I don’t think your pills will do any good.”

Techno sighed, sitting down right beside Tommy. Tommy didn’t respond to his presence, looking into the flames as his shoulder twitched and his body shivered.

“Tommy?” Tommy glanced over when Techno said his name. “Do you know how we can help you?”

Tommy shook his head, looking back to the fire. “You’ve already done a lot for me. Thank you.”

“We’re not going to stop,” Techno felt like scolding. “What can we do?”

Tommy leaned his head against Techno’s shoulder. “I don’t know.”

“Tell me how you feel.”

Tommy looked up, somewhat surprised to see the sunset. “Cold,” was his first response. “Tired,” was his second. “Kinda out of it,” was what he said to end it.

“Does your mind feel fuzzy?”

“No, just kind of,” he huffed, “Dead.”

Techno couldn’t find any humor in his irony. He put his hand in Tommy’s hair as he was still leaning against his shoulder, brushing through it gently. 

“Do you think you just need rest?”

Tommy shook his head, a shiver running through his veins. He was quiet for a little bit, Techno wondered if he had fallen asleep on his shoulder until he attached himself to Techno’s arm.

“I don’t think I was meant to exist,” Tommy said softly. “I shouldn’t be dead and alive at the same time.”

“But you do exist,” Techno told him back. “A little miracle.”

“Less a miracle, more an accident.” He sighed, curling just a little bit closer to Techno. “God forgot to kill me.”

Techno didn’t think his heart could shatter anymore, but it found a way. Techno wasn’t religious, never had been, but there was a way to comfort him, he would. “I don’t think God could ever forget you. I think he wanted this for you. To find us.”

“Then why does everything hurt? Did he decide to take it back?” Tommy gripped his hand around Techno’s wrist. “Does he want me to die for real?”

“I don’t know,” Techno strained his voice. “I’m not him.”

Tommy only gripped Techno tighter. Techno tugged him into a hug.

“I do know,” he began, “That no matter what God wants, I’ll be keeping you here as long as possible.”

Tommy breathed out a content sigh at those words, despite him not needing to breathe. Techno pressed a kiss into Tommy’s hair like they had known each other all of their life.

“Get some sleep,” Techno whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Techno wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, because Tommy never shifted, never breathed. Techno knew he did eventually because he realized that Tommy had stopped shaking and shivering. 

He told himself that it would all be ok, no matter what happened.

Chapter Text

The next day it got worse, and Phil and Techno decided that it was time to try something new.

The fire roared in front of Tommy who shivered every minute. It didn’t matter how hot the flames were burning, Tommy wouldn’t stop. His body protested, screamed for warmth, and there was nothing left on this earth that could make Tommy warm again.

Phil tried something that morning. He picked the twelve-year-old up and put him in his lap, wrapping his arms around him in the warmest hug anyone on earth could have ever provided. Tommy seemed to sigh, relaxing into the touch only to tense a minute later.

Techno watched his eyes look down at the arms Phil was wrapping around the kid, Tommy opened his mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. His expression was one of a terrified person, threading his arms under Phil’s and up to cover his ears.

“Tommy?” Phil had asked.

“Leave,” Tommy had said with no hesitation. “Get off, get off !”

Phil quickly backed away from the kid. Tommy slowly brought his hands down from his ears, tense shoulders relaxing into his body, and then slumping into something defeated.

“Don’t touch me,” he whispered like it pained him to say. “I’m going to hurt you.”

“I’m sure you would never-”

“Phil!” He shouted, the closest thing to tears in his eyes. “Don’t come near me. I’m dangerous.”

As much as Phil tried to argue, Techno stopped him. There was no doubt in his mind that if Tommy was losing the struggle to keep up his own body heat inches away from a fire, his mind would be filled with the Virus’s taunts as well.

Techno wondered how much longer it would be.

The twelve-year-old didn’t move from his spot near the fire, still shivering despite his best efforts. He talked to Phil in hushed tones when Techno came to check on them, and when they weren’t talking, Tommy stared into the fire, expression lost to the world.

“Do you think we should-” Techno cut himself off when talking to Phil, hard to form the words. “Reinfect him?”

Phil pursed his lips, “I don’t want to risk it. It could just make the whole process faster.”

“Or it could save him. He’s dying, Phil.”

“So you want to reanimate his corpse instead of letting him rest?” Techno was hurt at the blunt words. 

He hadn’t expected Phil of all people to accept it yet. Techno hadn’t even accepted it. Tommy wouldn’t die, he was already dead, but then what could they call this process? It looked and felt like he was dying, a sickness slowly shutting off everything Tommy needed to live.

Techno just didn’t know if that was because he was winning or losing the fight.

“Tommy was never going to last forever,” Phil said the bitter words.

“He’s not a tool , Phil, he’s a person!

“I know, Techno!” He took in a shuttered breath. “None of us last forever. I’ve seen lives lost that meant more to me than this kid I met a week ago, and I’m not going to have you wasting your last moments with him trying to save him. I know how close you are, I know you think of each other as brothers, but if he’s dying you have to accept that!”

Techno took a step back, an emotion he wasn’t used to being pounded out in his heart. Phil bit his lip, “Fuck, Tech, I didn’t mean that.”

“No, you definitely did.” Techno knew his tone was not to be overlooked. In the heat of grief, you didn’t say things you didn’t mean, you said things you regretted meaning.

“Tech-”

“Feed the animals for me, will you?” He spit out. “I’m not going to waste my time on minuscule lives just because I haven’t known them for years and years.”

He walked away, not sure his words came out the way he meant them to. For some reason, he didn’t care. Phil’s words hurt, but his anger would strike deeper.

Tommy looked over at him when he sat down next to him. He was careful not to touch, knowing the reaction Tommy had given to Phil, even if he wanted to. 

“Hey,” Tommy breathed out. “Your conversation was rather loud.”

“Whatever you heard-”

“No,” he said, shattering Techno’s heart. “I get it.” He choked out a laugh. “I’m dying, I get it.”

Techno’s shoulders sagged. He could barely pay attention to the sweat dripping down his back as he sat close to the fire in August. He couldn’t bring himself to care about being careful in this much heat. A second more with Tommy was worth it.

“Are you sure you don’t know how we can help you?”

He shook his head, “If I’d known I would have told you.”

He took in the nervous energy of the kid. It was clear that he didn’t want to die, didn’t know what was past it. The great unknown was that way for a reason. If it wasn’t, what was the point in living?

He shouldn’t have had to face that barrier so young.

“Do you think your body is fighting the Virus?” Techno asked him after the silence went on for too long.

“I think so, I just think it’s doing a pretty shit job at it.” Tommy rolled his shoulders back, stretching them out. “People get the chills when they’re sick, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah,” Tommy agreed. “I think I’m losing.”

In that case, reinfecting him would just make it worse. His body had managed to protect the brain during the first time, and it was only meant to last for so long.

“I’m pretty sure my lungs are frozen,” Tommy said with a bit of a laugh. “However I’m talking right now, there’s no air in my lungs.”

“Stomach perhaps?”

“Well, I guess that’s the only use for it now.” He picked up his water bottle from behind him. Techno had always managed to keep it full, making sure Tommy had some for whenever he felt like he needed it. “I feel like my body’s just… empty. I can feel the water going straight into my blood, and air filling up somewhere but not having much use. It’s all just one giant mess in there. Probably decaying too.”

Techno brought his attention over to Tommy’s shoulder, still wrapped in bandages. Tommy had cut through the shirt he was wearing just so it didn’t tug on the wrap, leaving a roughly cut hole in the fabric that looked like a poor fashion choice. 

It allowed you to see what was actually underneath: wrapped skin that was decaying right off the bone, a sickly green tint to the edges. His skin sagged where it had been torn and dropped away.

Techno wanted to see if it had gotten worse, but he didn’t think it would matter, nor did he want to see it if it had.

“How- Tech, Techno, how-” Tommy stuttered, “How long do I have left?”

Techno closed his eyes for a minute, processing the question. He had never seen things get bad like this, but he had read about it. When the body realizes it’s not going to live, it doesn’t usually go for much longer.

“I-” His voice felt overused, overdrawn. It was scratchy and horse in all the wrong ways. Words like these were never supposed to leave his mouth. “I- don’t… think it’s going to be too long.”

Techno expected Tommy to break into tears, shouting that he was wrong, scream and cry and do everything in his power to keep himself on this earth and living.

Tommy just nodded, looking back to the fire. Something in Techno died at the sight.

“Tech?”

“Y- yes, Tommy?”

Tommy smiled sadly, “Can I go see the cows again?”

Techno matched his smile, “Of course.”

“Carry me?”

Techno scooped Tommy up without a question. The kid dug his head into Techno’s shoulder, and Techno didn’t care if something in Tommy’s mind was telling him to spread the Virus, to bite him and leave the Virus sitting under his skin. He could hear Tommy struggling against those thoughts, but he didn’t care. If he met his demise this way, it was worth it.

Tommy stood on shaky legs as Techno set him down in front of the girl he named Henry, Tommy laughing softly at the way the animal nudged and nuzzled him. 

Techno saved the memory and made sure to never let it go.

Chapter Text

Tommy woke up that morning, which seemed like a miracle in itself.

Techno had squeezed the kid so hard when they had wished each other goodnight. Tommy knew it was a preemptive goodbye and squeezed back as hard as he could in return. Techno hadn’t left his side until Tommy stopped shivering, and once again he wondered what the difference was between Tommy sleeping and being dead.

Phil had shed tears with him, and they both silently hoped that the goodnight they had wished him wasn’t their last.

Tommy woke up that morning, eyes blinking open, and had trouble sitting up to face the fire. Techno had been too shocked to say anything at first, only helped him to sit, asking if Tommy needed anything or wanted to help with the farm.

Tommy stared at the fire. He didn’t say anything.

He wasn’t shivering either.

When either Phil or Techno tried to speak to him, they were met with cold-shouldered silence. Any touch that Techno and Phil graced him with was met without reciprocation. No flinches, no eyes that came up to meet theirs.

Techno wasn’t sure this was death, but he didn’t know what anything was anymore.

The two of them wanted nothing more than to sit by Tommy’s side and hope that he came to his senses, but animals didn’t take days off from eating. They got up in shifts, Phil taking on more responsibilities to give Techno more time. Techno knew Phil still loved the kid, despite what he said the day before, but Phil knew that Techno deserved to be with him more.

Techno hadn’t protested when Phil offered to do more than he should have.

Tommy’s glazed look and cold skin made Techno shiver, which he scared himself by doing. The only signs that Tommy was still somewhat living were his tense muscles and still body that wouldn’t move. His upright position was something Techno took with gratitude, even if the lifeless body of the kid was hardly living.

He was living in some twisted way.

They had known each other for a week, and Techno had kept his mind occupied with thoughts and theories on how Tommy had managed to survive. It had come across his mind that maybe the kid was just too damn stubborn to die, and that seemed like the most heartwarming thing that had crossed his mind.

Because now, looking at Tommy without seeing any outward sign of life, he was still alive. He refused to die, he refused to lay down and rest. There was some fire that laid in him, something that no one else on earth had, and it had made him a miracle. 

Techno sat with Tommy all throughout the day, talking to him to fill the silence, hoping Tommy could hear him. He got up only twice to do something for the farm that Phil couldn’t do himself, coming back with a cheery exclamation when he returned. 

Tommy didn’t change. He didn’t shift, he didn’t breathe. He didn’t smile or laugh at Techno’s words or lean into the contact that Techno provided. He didn’t shiver or whine with the discomfort of his shoulder.

But he lived, and that was enough for Technoblade.

Morning turned into afternoon, afternoon that switched into evening. Techno commented on the beauty of the sunset, despite Tommy not looking up to see it. Evening turned dark, the stars announcing that night had come. Techno sat right next to Tommy, Phil on his other side.

“You should get some sleep, mate,” Phil had told him quietly, taking note of the exhaustion that lined Techno’s face with the prospect of being cheery and optimistic when there was no reason to.

“I should,” Techno agreed softly. “I’ll take first watch.”

“Tech…”

“I’ll wake you if something happens, Phil.” Techno bit back a yawn that would just prove Phil’s case. He was sure Phil caught it anyway.

“Are you sure?”

Techno nodded, brushing against Tommy's shoulder and nudging Phil. “You worked hard. Thank you.”

“Wake me up by one, alright?”

“Sure, Phil.” Both of them knew it wasn’t going to happen, but it was comforting to hear. It was just like normal nights… normal nights with Tommy.

Phil laid down a little ways away from the fire on a blanket that he laid out for himself, flashing a small smile that Techno returned.

Phil fell asleep at some point, soft snores reaching out to Techno. One look at Tommy’s still form reminded Techno why he was here, what he was doing.

He was caring for a kid who had no one else to care for him. He was helping a kid that had survived when no one else had. He was comforting someone who wouldn’t react, who might not even know he was there, just because it was right.

And Techno loved him.

It could have been hours that Techno sat there, staring at the fire along with Tommy. Techno shifted when he felt like it, brushing Tommy's shoulder every so often with no reaction. It was ok because he was there. 

It could have been hours before something changed. Techno was sitting there, right next to Tommy, when a sound Techno hadn’t made crossed his ears. He looked over to find Tommy looking back at him, and Techno smiled. His heart swelled.

Tommy didn’t smile. His eyebrows dropped into a place where he looked like he was in pain. Techno spoke to him softly with no response but his eye contact, and that was enough. 

Techno watched as Tommy’s eyes lingered over to Phil, catching sight of his sleeping form and not letting him go. Techno considered waking him like he said he would, but it was quiet. In the moment, he didn’t want to ruin the silence.

Tommy’s eyes shot back down after a few moments. Staring at his lap, he moved his hands sluggishly. His eyes drifted back a few times, each time shooting back down to the ground. Techno asked him if he wanted him to wake Phil, but he got no response.

This cycle repeated until Tommy made a frustrated sound. He pushed himself up to his feet, almost falling with the weak shaking of his legs. Techno steadied him, and Tommy walked slowly over to where Phil was sleeping. He sat down in front of him, looked down at the man, and picked up his hand. 

He just held it there for a minute, as if wondering what it was. His brows were still scrunched up, this time in frustration. He held Phil’s hand, careful to not wake him as he did.

He raised it up, opening his mouth, and then snapping it shut in some form of anger. Techno caught what the intention was.

“Tommy, bud,” he said softly, catching Tommy's attention. “Maybe we should sit back by the fire.”

Tommy looked back down at the hand he was holding, playing with his fingers gently. He looked back up at Techno, something that resembled an ask for permission in his eyes.

“I’m not going to let you bite him, Toms,” he said, though it pained him to see the frustration return. “I know it’s hard, but it’s the right thing.”

Tommy sighed, dropping the hand. He moved a strand of hair from Phil’s face that made Techno’s heart tighten for the millionth time. When he looked back up at Techno, he offered his hand to help Tommy up.

“Let’s go sit back by the fire,” he suggested. “You’ll be warmer.”

Tommy took the hand, Techno using most of his strength to pull Tommy off of the ground. The kid leaned into him while he walked, a tight grip on his hand like he never wanted to let go.

They sat down by the fire again, Tommy letting out a shiver as they sat down.

“See? Better, right?”

Tommy smiled softly, looking over at Techno who decided to hug him, no matter what thoughts were in his head. Tommy hugged him back, and Techno could hear the snap of teeth as Tommy struggled to keep them closed.

“You should get some rest, Tommy,” Techno said as only a whisper, knowing full well what might happen if he did. “You can milk the cows in the morning. You can see the lambs, Tubbo and Ranboo? You can go see them if you sleep tonight.”

His voice tightened, Tommy pulled closer.

It was a while before they pulled away, Tommy’s eyelids already half closed. He smiled, just a small one, but it was happy instead of the sad smile Tommy had given him before.

“Go to sleep, Tommy,” Techno whispered as he let Tommy curl up in the grass, his body turned towards the fire. He ran his hand through his curls gently as time passed, Tommy’s eyes not yet closed.

“Techno?” He heard a small whisper. His heart jumped, and adrenaline tried to cloud his vision.

“Yes, Tommy?”

He sighed, “m’cold.”

His slur of syllables was the last thing Techno heard from Tommy before he dropped off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Tommy didn’t wake up.

Techno had run a hand through his hair that morning, knowing that if Tommy hadn’t gotten up at sunrise, he wouldn’t be ever again. Phil had sat down beside him, any scolding he had in him about not being woken up that night dying on his tongue. Techno bit the inside of his cheek to keep from breaking down as Phil held him, determined not to shed tears.

His body was much lighter than Techno had thought he was the night before. Techno remembered having to use all of his strength to bring Tommy to his feet. He thought, maybe, it was the weight of what was to come weighing down on him. As soon as Tommy had moved that night, Techno knew it was over.

He had still denied it for as long as possible, only trying to give Tommy some time to rest during those final moments, some peace in a cold, unforgiving world.

One where Technoblade and Phil were the only ones left. Again.

Techno held Tommy close to him, not moving for a long time. Phil had tried to get him to move, knew he had to be the older one in the situation, but he also knew that, as much as they both loved him, Techno needed some time with him alone.

Phil went to take care of the animals.

Techno stayed with Tommy.

His heart wasn’t beating, his lungs weren’t moving, and his skin was just as cold as it had ever been. Yet, there was something different in Tommy. Techno wondered if he was psyching himself out, if he had put it there himself. In the end, he just decided that the tension and life that had once been in his bones were gone. 

If you could have asked Techno if he cried just then, he would deny it. If you asked Phil, he wouldn’t answer.

At noon, Techno moved. He walked across the plains with Tommy in his arms, to which Phil shortly joined him by his side. Techno went into his shed and he grabbed a shovel.

Techno’s shovel cleared away the extra firewood, moved the circle of stones, and shoveled up piles of ash that had been left over from the week. He dug into the dirt after that, Phil holding onto Tommy from a few feet away. He dug, pried at the soft dirt, and threw to the side sticks and rocks that got in his way. He dug and dug away until Phil called at him to stop, to which Techno didn’t hear him the first few times. He was lost in his own thoughts so much that he could barely pay attention to the world around him.

Because the world seemed dull now. Its light greens of the grass and soft blues of the sky were all gray. His house seemed bland, stuck in a time before color, straight out of a picture.

And Tommy, Tommy had been with them for a week. His name would have meant nothing to him a week ago, and now he couldn’t say it without his chest tightening and throat burning.

Maybe there had just been such a small number of people in his life that one person who had come at him with open arms meant the world to him.

It meant more than the world. Tommy was worth so much more than this shitty excuse for an earth.

Techno held Tommy again after that. He took in the green of his skin, sickly, but it had always been like that. He looked at his shoulder, the bandages wrapped over a quickly decaying part of his skin, flesh disappearing from bone and creeping down past his arm.

But he had always been like that.

What would happen if Tommy went down there, down into the grave Techno had dug for him, and come back again? What would happen? He didn’t need to breathe, or eat, or do anything a normal human would. He would be trapped down there for as long as he would live, in pain and agony at not being able to move.

Buried alive.

“Tech…” Phil called out, dragging his eyes away from the boy. “Techno, we- I know you don’t want to-”

“What if he’s still alive…?” Techno breathed. “What if I put him down there and he comes alive again?”

There was no right answer to that question. 

“I don’t think he’s coming back, Techno,” Phil knelt down to where he held the boy. “I think you have to let go.”

His throat refused to cooperate, a solid weight lodged in the doorway.

“I’ve lost a son, Tech,” he said as some comfort. “I’ve lost a brother, and a wife, and friends . I watched all of them go.” Techno tried to not think about the tear down the man’s face. “It’s hard, Tech, it’s so hard, I know. But they would want you to let them go. They would want you to keep going. You still have so much more life to live, and they’re rooting for you, wherever they are.”

Techno couldn’t count the number of times his heart had shattered over the week, but it found ways to keep doing it. Over and over again, like someone was continually breaking the same bone before they had let it heal.

He understood that what he had to do was let him go, to let Tommy live in his memory and see him later, wherever that later is. He would live on, and he would carry on, and he would do the things Tommy loved to do and name all the animals, and he would sit by the fire and he would watch the stars, and he would heal.

He had Phil.

And he once had Tommy.

Techno stood up, pressing a kiss to his brother’s forehead. He walked over to the grave and he stepped inside. He hugged Tommy for the final time, letting a sob leave his lungs as his final goodbye, and set him down in the soft dirt to let the flowers grow with the amount of joy the boy left behind.

He stepped out and he picked up his shovel. 

Phil and Techno sat there by their destroyed fire pit until the sun began to set, wrapped in each other's arms for comfort they desperately needed. Phil had placed the stones that served as his marker, a promise to never forget, memories that would never leave.

Phil tugged Techno to his house before they had to deal with the creatures that would come out during the dusk, creatures that were so different from Tommy, though they were the same in nature. They walked to the door, Phil about to part to put the animals to bed.

“Hey!”

Ths shout shook both of them from their spots, having them turn around in all directions to spot the culprit. A figure came running at them from the distance. Phil turned on the porch light.

The man looked about the same age as Techno. He had curly brown hair that sat on top of his head, a height that easily towered over both Phil and Techno. 

His brown eyes were dull, his skin was a sickly green. The man wasn’t breathing, Techno could imagine that his heart wasn’t beating either.

“Sirs,” he greeted with a worried look. “I know what I look like, I promise I’m not going to hurt you.” he glanced around cautiously. “I’m looking for my brother and you guys are the only people I’ve seen anywhere.” 

Techno stood in horror. Phil’s fingers twitched as he reached for Techno’s hand.

The man continued, trying to ignore the horror and shock on their faces. “I- he’s twelve, about waist height, he’s got the brightest blonde curls. I just want to know if you’ve seen anyone or-” he swallowed. “Or anything similar.”

Techno had trouble breathing, but he forced out a word. “Tommy?”

The man’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Yes yes yes, have you seen him? God , is he inside? Where is he?”

Phil put a hand on Techno’s shoulder when he started shaking.

“M- mate, what’s your name?”

“Wilbur,” he got out as quick as he could. “Tommy and I got separated in the city, I’ve been searching around everywhere for him. I couldn’t find his body- or- or a zombie that resembled him- but, you know him? Where is he? Please , sirs, I want my brother back.”

Techno let out a shaky breath, guiding Phil’s hand from off of his shoulder.

“Wilbur…” he said, his voice tight, his throat raw. “I’m afraid we just buried him.”