Chapter Text
For days after Techno let his rage take over, directed at Phil and Schlatt, he simply secluded himself. Oddly, the nest Schlatt built gave more comfort than expected, even as he tried to alter it which led to half the wall collapsing. Unsure how to fix it and appease his instincts at the same time it was left for later construction.
Despite everything Techno had come to know, one thing constantly confounded him without fail. After their fight, Phil had handed him to Schlatt– more manageable for the still-trembling vampire to carry him– before heading back here. With Techno placed in the nest, both adults fluttered around, fixing blankets and bringing a cup of water to his bedside table. Even if Schlatt told Phil it wasn’t necessary the blond still did it.
Then while Techno sobbed, they sat near him, careful hands brushing away long pink hair, or rubbing his back. Every time he apologized for his behavior both shushed him, whispering that it was okay. And when he inevitably cried into a trance Phil excused himself to check on the other boys. Like clockwork Techno would wake up calling for his sire, screaming for her, only to hear no response. In these moments whoever was in the room would bundle him up, coo’s or rumbles used to lull him into a sense of comfort.
And when Techno finally became aware enough of his grief to realize how embarrassing he acted, they both left when he requested it. Not before Phil pressed a careful kiss to the pinkette’s temple and Schlatt cupped the back of his neck while pressing his forehead against Techno’s.
The newly empty room was haunting and uncomfortable, but Techno’s pride stopped him from calling anyone in. It would be so easy due to someone knocking on his door so frequently, checking up on him, or bringing blood for him to drink. Most of the time the scarlet liquid remained on the ground outside the door, the pinkette’s stomach feeling as if it had shrunk into nothing.
Unfortunately, the pinkette missed when he was crying, sobbing for everything he had lost. Now he simply lay there, his eyes boring holes into the wall as his body felt numb. The energy it would take to move his body seemed like too much, the whole world watching for a single muscle twitch Techno simply couldn’t give them.
It wasn’t until 2 or 3 days after kicking the adults out that Phil returned, like every time he knocked, but this time he gently announced he would be entering. Techno wanted to protest, why couldn’t they just let him starve and wither away? Turn to dust in mind and memory for Schlatt and the Watson family. No noise could be found though, Techno’s mouth remaining shut as he tried to muster up the energy to even move it.
The door creaked lightly as Phil pushed it open slowly, his gaze locked onto the floor as he entered, probably for some semblance of privacy. When those beautiful blue eyes finally did raise, they were full of concern and something Techno couldn’t translate. He could be seen glancing out the door, giving someone a small nod before entering further, allowing the door to swing shut. Techno couldn’t even find it in him to tell him off, to yell at him to get out and just let him fade into memory. Instead, the blond carefully edged closer, his one hand hesitating slightly before sinking into Techno’s hair. The feeling of his blunt nails almost made tears fall from his eyes. If he hadn’t felt so numb maybe he would have sobbed again, and wailed at the comforting gesture.
Instead, after long moments of contemplating Phil climbed into the nest alongside Techno. His body was so warm, Phil practically picked up the boy before placing him on top of him. “I'm sorry baby, I shouldn’t have left you alone for so long.” Tears finally escaped his eyes, slow and silent as they fell from Techno’s cheeks to land on Phil’s clothed chest.
Together they sat there, Phil whispering reassurances and running his hand along Techno’s skin, whether that was his scalp or along his back. Schlatt slowly entered not long after, his gaze that of concern as well. Little chirps and hums escaped him as he tried to get Techno to respond to them.
With careful hands the vampire picked Techno up, readjusting so Techno’s head would rest against his collarbone. Together the three of them did a silent procession down the hallway before entering Phil’s room. Despite how much he wanted to just be laid down in Phil’s nest the trio simply walked past it, entering the attached bathroom.
As if it was already planned Schlatt sat on the closed toilet lid, Techno carefully wrapped in his arms. Phil on the other hand busied himself grabbing items before setting them up around the two vampires. And when the sound of bustling stopped, the room was cast into a comfortable silence.
Some rearranging was made, with Schlatt relocating them to a wooden chair. Techno was then rotated around so his cheek was resting on the man's shoulder. The sight of his throat was exciting, some part of Techno’s instincts forced him to press his face against the exposed flesh. From there Phil and Schlatt talked a little, their voices merging and floating around them. All that Techno truly caught was Phil apologizing before Schlatt said it was fine. Whatever they were talking about didn’t seem to matter all that much though, leaving Techno to simply allow his hearing to float away.
—
When they had originally left Techno alone it was hard, Phil could admit that. Both his and Schlatt’s instincts flared in hopes of protecting “their” fledgling. Stupidly they had allowed the pinkette 48 hrs to himself, allowing the boy to starve himself as he tried to navigate so much grief.
When the time came Phil entered the room again, Techno’s form lay prone in the nest unmoving. How could they be so stupid to leave such a vulnerable boy alone? With a small nod given to Niki who was waiting outside the door her sole job being to go retrieve Schlatt.
Together Schlatt and Phil had come up with a plan, yet, both hoped it wouldn’t come to this. The feeling of Techno’s greasy locks on his fingers made Phil cringe. Upon Schlatt's arrival, the man scooped Techno up in steady arms, heading to Phil’s room like a little procession.
From there it was rather simple, despite some of the difficulties they didn’t account for. One of which led to Schlatt sitting on a chair that was sitting in the bathtub. His normal blazer was removed, leaving him in a white button-down. It took quite a bit of reassurance from the man before Phil finally relented, slight guilt clung to his ribs as he prepared the water.
A small cup was used to scoop the warm water from the shower spout to Techno’s head. Careful hands kept the water from the boy’s face as Phil poured it. Despite his best attempt– it was inevitable– Schlatt’s shirt soaked the water up as well. Techno’s plain gray t-shirt he had been given upon his arrival to the house darkening from the moisture.
At first, the boy seemed completely unresponsive, his nose and mouth pressed to Schlatt’s throat as his eyes stared at the side of his face. Even as the warm water cascaded down his head and hair the boy didn’t seem to react.
Some of Phil’s shampoo was poured into the blond’s hand. The flowery fruity scent didn’t even seem to draw Techno from his thoughts, the smell pleasantly strong but not overbearing.
“Never pinned you as a flower shampoo type Phil.”
“All the ‘men’s’ soap is like 3-in-1. It sucks. Besides, you can’t say it smells bad, especially since it works.” Schlatt rolled his eyes, a small smirk showing he was just trying to antagonize the blond with no real reason.
The suds from the soap pleasantly foamed up, leaving small bubbles clinging to the underside of Schlatt’s jaw and in his mutton chop.
They were in no hurry, Schlatt and Phil had agreed on that before they even started this whole plan. So instead of just rinsing the Shampoo from his head Phil took the time to run his blunt nails along Techno’s scalp. The oil and grime there probably need extra attention anyways.
A small sniffle made Phil stop, only for the boy's head to follow the withdrawal of his fingers. Carefully he continued the light scratching, taking extra care around the back of his neck. Schlatt had told him the comfort the back of a vampire’s neck could provide, a sires hold there doing wonders for a panicking fledgling. Gentle hands lift the boy’s head to allow Phil access to clean the other side of Techno’s head.
The sight of silent tears rolling down the boy's face was heart-wrenching, the thick tears landing on Schlatt’s shirt collar. Techno seemed to still be staring off in the distance, possibly disassociating or maybe just lost in thought as the saline fell from his eyes.
After rinsing the shampoo out the conditioner was added, Phil took the time to try to gently brush the knots from the length of Techno’s hair before rinsing it again. From there the blond tried to dry the boy's hair as best he could, gently rubbing the cotton into the boy’s scalp before trying to squeeze the water from the ends.
Realistically washing his hair was the easiest part of the process. After getting as much water from Techno’s hair Phil was tasked with trying to get the now wet shirt from the boy's body. Even with Schlatt’s help, it was a task that Techno seemingly didn’t wanna help with, his arms fighting to keep him as close to Schlatt as possible at all times.
However, they did eventually achieve it. The sight of Techno’s bare torso was something neither of the adults was planning on. Thick and thin scars ran around his chest and stomach, probably from knives or dull blades. His back was practically more scar tissue than skin, hash marks laying over one another, probably from a whip or something similar.
A dry shirt sat on the sink's edge, waiting to be put on the boy, but first was attempting to switch Techno from Schlatt’s lap into Phil’s. It took quite a bit of struggling while trying to whisper reassurances to Get Techno’s arms to unwrap Schlatt before tightening around Phil’s neck.
During the exchange, Techno’s wet pants were traded for a pair of Phil’s warm sweatpants. As Techno nuzzled his face into Phil’s neck, similarly to how he had done to Schlatt’s, the hair on Phil’s neck had risen. Phil knew Techno wouldn’t hurt him, but, it seemed his instincts hadn’t caught onto that memo.
Together Phil and Techno sat on the closed toilet, Phil’s hand drawing gentle shapes on the boy’s back, making sure he used the pads of his fingers so he wouldn’t irritate any of the ridges of scars.
Schlatt shed his wet dress shirt, grimacing as he peeled it from his skin. He dried his shoulder and chest before stealing one of Phil’s cotton shirts to wear instead.
“Do you wanna try to put the dry shirt on him now or once he’s in the nest?”
“It’ll probably be easier now since he is sitting up, do you wanna grab it for me?” Schlatt nodded, already reaching for the shirt before they attempted to once again fight Techno’s grip. Putting a shirt on was much more difficult than taking it off but somehow the two managed.
Despite their attempts to switch the boy back into Schlatt’s hold so they could carry him to the bed easier Techno refused to relent. Quiet whimpers and hisses informing them of his displeasure at the idea. So instead Phil stood on half-asleep legs, leaving them to practically waddle over to the large bed. They were anything but graceful as Phil practically flopped onto the bed, crushing the wall of his nest in the process.
From there Phil had little issue scooting up to the headboard, allowing him to be propped up while holding the boy. Schlatt absentmindedly approached the nest but didn’t enter, instead attempting to fix the wall Phil had smashed. His eyes darted to the still-intact edges as he tried to match and mimic the construction. The sight made Phil want to laugh but the warmth blooming from his chest stopped him.
“You wanna climb in here with us mate?”
“You sure that's alright? Im fine sitting out here.”
“At this point, you are practically part of the family. As long as your fledglings don’t think you are cheating on them” Phil’s laugh was music to everyone's ears who sat in the room. The sad atmosphere was a whole lot heavier than they realized. Techno must have agreed as he relaxed further, letting out a deep sigh just after Phil’s laugh stopped.
Schlatt nodded, excusing himself to change out of wet dress pants. Soon after the door shut from Schlatt’s departure it reopened, surprisingly it was Wilbur and Tommy this time who leaned in. Both waited patiently for Phil to either motion them over or shoo them off, which Phil was extremely appreciative of.
Wilbur’s hand sat clamped on Tommy’s shoulder, probably reminding him silently he needed to remain calm and quiet for Techno’s sake. Tommy’s arms holding his stuffed cow– Henry– close to his chest. Even as they slowly approached the edge of the bed Wilbur’s hand remained there, steering him in and holding him back from launching himself on the bed.
Once again they stopped, searching for approval which Phil hesitantly gave, allowing Wilbur to gently lift Tommy onto the bed and over the nest’s wall before climbing in himself. Tommy, for the first time, seemed to hesitate without Wilbur’s prompting. His eyes softened as he noticed Techno’s crumpled form.
Phil had no idea how he got so lucky, his two biological kids being so soft and empathetic. Both gently try to take care of each other and the boy they adopted as their brother. Tommy, seemingly nervous about hurting Techno opted to sit on the side Techno’s head wasn’t. The position allowed the young blond to hesitantly wave at the pinkette before smiling at him as he shoved the stuffed animal in his grip between Techno’s arm and Phil’s chest.
Wilbur sat on Phil’s other side, busying his hands with techno’s wet hair, braiding it loosely. Thankfully Wilbur was good at braiding, Phil, while he could braid, was horribly out of practice. The feeling of fingers in his hair drew a choppy hum from the pinkette as he tried to nuzzle deeper into Phil’s neck, even though he was already pressed flush with his throat.
It wasn’t long after Wiblur had finished off the braid that Schlatt returned, the sight making Wilbur crawl over to the side Tommy was seated, forcing the blond to cuddle as they pressed into Phil’s side.
Schlatt seemed to hesitate again as he approached the edge, looking to Phil for approval before climbing over the edge. It was safe to say the new addition was slightly awkward, everyone being slightly unsure what to do. Schlatt’s own nest probably was slightly different, the way he and his fledglings cuddled, not the same as the Watsons did if Phil had to assume.
For the first 5 minutes, they awkwardly shifted around, Schlatt ending up seated against the headboard similar to how Phil was, a gap between their shoulders as they talked lightly. The topic of conversation was anything that came to mind, or whatever Tommy imputed from his spot cuddled into Wilbur.
They sat there for who knows how long, the comfortable atmosphere being enough to make time fly. When a gentle knock on the door rang out through the room the sound was almost shocking. One of the maids peeked her head in, asking if they would want to be served dinner in here or if they wanted to go to the dining hall. As much as Phil didn’t want to move, the thought of crumbs of food in his nest made his feathers feel like bugs were crawling between them.
Wilbur and Tommy were sent with the maid and told to go to the dining room to wait for them and for the food to be ready. After their departure Phil tried to lean his head back to check on Techno, making the boy only borrow deeper to escape the gaze.
“Hey bud, are you alright going to the dining room to eat?” The pinkette tightened his hold around Phil, showing he had heard but didn’t love the idea. “What if Schlatt carried you down, I'm sure he would be alright with you sitting with him.”
Reluctantly the pinkette lifted his head, his arms unwrapping from Phil’s neck only to turn and fall into Schlatt’s lap. His arms once again returned to the man's neck before he shifted his body over. The sight reminded Phil of when Tommy was younger, being handed to or from his grasp.
Schlatt simply shifted with the boy, sliding to the edge of the bed. He apologized quietly to Phil as he compressed one of the nest walls, the same spot Schlatt had tried to fix earlier, as he stood from the mattress. Together they crept down the hallway, side by side.
The dining hall was surprisingly loud with giggles as they rounded the corner. Ever since Techno went missing after their talk Schlatt had brought his two fledglings and his coven mates to Phil’s estate. Originally it was to help search, now it was more of a comfort to Schlatt knowing they were close and safe. With them here it also allowed them to feed and sleep together at night.
It was weird sleeping in a new place but the guest room made an acceptable nest, even if Schlatt had to go into town to buy more blankets since Techno’s and Phil’s had sucked the estate dry of spare fabric.
That's why the room seemed so loud and vibrant as they entered, Tommy had taken a liking to Tubbo, Schlatt’s youngest. The two feed off each other like gasoline to a fire. Quackity seemed to be alright with Wilbur’s company, the two often having rather deep conversations, or Wilbur begging Quackity to recount the very few historical events the vampire had lived through.
When the trio entered conversation seemed to grind to a halt, all eyes fluttering with concern around Techno. Quackity and Tubbo both let out rumbles of concern and question which Schlatt soothed over their coven bond.
Phil must have motioned at them or something as all 4 returned to their conversations, slightly quieter this time. Schlatt sat between Quackity and Tubbo, the boys leaving him a seat. Before they had even arrived Schlatt had given them a run down on most of the situation, leaving out unimportant details.
While Quackity agreed to drink the warmed blood, his system developed enough to handle the stale liquid Schlatt had sworn Tubbo against it. He was substantially younger, and the thought of the boy’s stomach hurting, or not getting enough nutrients set Schlatt on edge.
For the entirety of their stay here, Tubbo has fed off Schlatt in the privacy of their guest room. But as the food was served to the humans another one of the maids brought the quartet of vampire cups of blood. Before she departed asking if they were a desirable temperature, offering to take them back to heat them further if needed.
Phil ensured that Wilbur and Tommy all had their portion of veggies, glaring at Tommy as he tried to get Tubbo to eat them for him. The look made Wilbur and Tubbo laugh as the blond angrily scooped more on his plate to appease Phil.
As soon as the serving staff left Quackity took a sip of the blood, grimacing before taking larger swallows. Schlatt took Tubbo’s cup from in front of him, taking the extra blood for himself due to Tubbo drinking some of Schlatt’s blood for dinner.
Without second thought Schlatt stuck his arm back out to Tubbo, the boy not even hesitating to grab it before sinking his fangs into the soft flesh there. The humans in the room seemed to be surprised by the action, all three just watching for a moment with their mouths slightly agape.
Phil thankfully cleared his throat, snapping Wilbur and Tommy’s glances away, and returned it to their plates.
With Tubbo’s mouth currently occupied sucking the blood from Schlatt's veins, the sound in the room decreased. Tommy however didn’t hesitate to just continue their conversation, speaking at Tubbo more than with Tubbo. Although, the boy did still nod or shake his head, his eyes raised in an attempt to keep looking at Tommy.
Schlatt simply ignored them as he tried to turn his head towards Techno’s ear. “Hey bud, I know you don’t feel well but can you try to drink some?” Techno shook his head, accidentally ramming his temple into Schlatt’s jaw. “You need to eat something bud, it's been a while since you ate. I'm not going to let you starve yourself.” Once again Techno disagreed, forcing his lips against Schlatt’s neck when the man lifted the cup of blood up toward Techno’s face.
Quackity seemed to be listening to their conversation, his brows furrowed in concern as he drank from his cup. The man seemed to pull on Schlatt’s mind, their coven bond snapping into place as Quackity met his sire’s eyes.
“I wouldn’t wanna eat this if I felt bad either. Would he be willing to feed from me or you?”
The thought was good, the intent even better. As long as they didn’t feed from Techno no coven bond would be made. The only other donor would be Phil, but the thought of a starving vampire feeding on a human, made anxiety dance in Schlatt’s gut. “Would you be alright with that? Don’t wanna make you or Tubbo uncomfortable.”
Quackity’s face softened, a small smile pulling at his lips as he broke eye contact to look at the traumatized vampire in his sire’s lap. “He’s just a kid. Maybe not mentally but no one deserves to go through this.” His eyes lifted to Schlatt’s again, “He deserves to be taken care of. I can’t imagine losing you how he lost his sire. Let him eat.”
When Tubbo was asked he gave a very similar answer, his fangs pulling from Schlatt’s wrist before he licked blood until it stopped rolling off his wrist. There was zero hesitance and Tubbo turned back towards Tommy as he started some sort of argument, ignoring the blood that stained his lips.
Taking the chance Schlatt drank from his cup, the blood still pleasantly warm. Without hesitation, he also lifted the cup that would have been Tubbos to his lips. His body screamed he was full by the end of the second cup. And upon further inspection, it seemed Tubbo and Tommy had taken off at some point. Wilbur stayed in his spot, chatting lightly with Quackity.
Phil however seemed to still be nibbling at his food, slowly eating, probably due to the exhaustion that clung to his frame. Allowing the blood to settle in his stomach Schlatt turned his head back towards Techno’s ear letting out a quiet sire’s hum. The sound made Quackity snap his gaze over before relaxing into his seat, returning his attention to Wilbur.
“Techno, I know you’re hungry. Please drink some blood. Either from the cup or me-” The pinkette jerked back, anger clear in his gaze as he stared at Schlatt. “I won’t drink from you, I promise. So no coven bond will be made, I'm not trying to replace your old sire.” Slowly the boy lowered himself back to Schlatt’s shoulder.
“You promise?”
“I promise, but you need food.” Techno could be felt nuzzling into Schlatt’s neck. Normally he only allows feedings to be done from his wrists. Easier to heal, and often not as messy, but Schlatt wasn’t going to complain. As long as the pinkette was eating he would be satisfied.
Taking a deep breath Schlatt tipped his head to the side, instead of resting it on top of Techno’s as it had been, baring his throat to the boy. It was almost palpable in the air how much nervous energy was coming from Techno, his hands could be felt shaking as he hesitantly pulled away from the action.
Schlatt’s hand caught the back of his neck, not allowing him to pull very far, despite the boy’s obvious nerves. New tears ran down the boy’s face, his lips pulled between his teeth in an attempt to scare off his instincts Schlatt desperately needed to take over.
“I don't wanna hurt you-”
“You won’t.”
“You don't know that.”
Schlatt’s hand squeezed the back of the pinkette’s neck, offering a sire’s comfort. “I do bud, I trust you.” The boy’s tears flowed freely now, even as he reluctantly allowed Schlatt’s hand to guide his head back into the crook of Schlatt’s throat.
Phil could be seen mid-bite, watching the pair with ill-concealed hope. Wilbur could be seen glancing over, obviously curious but the thought made the boy uneasy or possibly uncomfortable. Techno’s head stopped Schlatt from looking at Quackity but the constant stream of Safe–Fledgling–Feed–Safe was enough to assume he was still alright with this.
Techno’s tears could be felt landing on Schlatt’s neck and shoulder, his entire body shaking as he presumably fought his instinct's encouragement to feed. “It’s okay bud, you’re okay. Just let go, you’re safe.”
Techno’s tongue could be felt running along Schlatt’s neck, obviously unsure where to bite down. If Schlatt had to guess this wasn’t something the boy had very much practice doing. Instead of chastising the boy he instead used his hand to help guide him closer, encouraging him further.
The first pinch from Techno’s teeth was so very small, barely even breaking the flesh as he hesitated, opening his mouth as he let out a desperate croon. Once again Schlatt hummed, the sound unsurprisingly making the boy bite down again. Schlatt could feel the blood free itself from his body as Techno licked at the wound. The action was so similar to how Tubbo first did it when he was turned. Had Techno ever drunk from another person? The way he drank said no.
The first 30 seconds or so were spent with techno fumbling with trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. Maybe if they were alone Schlatt would have helped instruct him, but the fear it would embarrass the boy kept it from coming out, instead Schlatt whispered encouragement. At some point Techno had decided his extremely shallow bite wasn’t giving him enough, biting down again before trying to suck the blood out.
Schlatt knew the boy wouldn’t do anything too extreme, he may have been starving but he wouldn’t rip Schlatt’s throat out. Instead, he simply rubbed rough and loose shapes on the boy’s back as he relaxed back into the chair.
Despite his initial hesitance the boy seemed to enjoy the action, even as he slowed his drinking he kept his teeth locked onto the flesh, not pulling back even as the blood slowed, stopping as it coagulated in the wound and around Techno’s teeth.
At some point Wilbur had left the room, probably around the time Techno started crying. Quackity’s hand could be felt resting on his Sire’s shoulder, silent comfort. Phil on the other hand simply watched, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Schlatt as if asking a question. Whatever he was wondering Schlatt was unsure, opting to let a small grin out in hopes of easing the man's concern.
The group sat there for a long while in silence, Techno’s breaths slowly turning from fast and slightly panicked to deep and slow. Despite his attempts whenever Schlatt would move the boy's teeth would just tighten as if afraid to lose a source of food.
“Quackity, can you help me real quick?”
Together the two gently pried Techno’s mouth off of Schlatt’s neck, Phil was already prepared to press a cloth to the wound as it started bleeding again. “He did a number on you, got you like 2 or 3 times.”
Phil pulled the cloth back slightly, glancing at the wound. “Don’t you normally just do one bite, similar to how Tubbo did?”
“Yeah, normally.” Schlatt glanced over at Quackity, his jaw open as he already put the pieces together. “Phil I don’t think he knew how to feed.” Confusion seemed to be the only thing Phil felt, his lack of knowledge rearing its head.
“How has he lived for so long without feeding?”
“I don’t think it's a matter of if he fed, but how he fed. I don’t know how his past owners did it but it was never like this.” The memory of Techno so willingly drinking cold, half-congealed blood surfaced helpfully. “He drank like Tubbo did his first time, how Quackity did too.”
Schlatt lifted the third cup of blood to his lips, this time the liquid was cool and unpleasant, but still, the man drank it. “We should talk to him in the morning, and see what his thoughts are. Maybe we should view this as less of a growing or healing period, and more of a fresh start.”