Archive of Our Own

1. something like an introduction

Technoblade liked to think that he was clever in his actions of setting up and settling down on the No Man's Land between two kingdoms. It was land the two societies had been debating over for a long while and he just came in and started building without warning either or of the royal families.

And when they tried to question him, when either army of knights attempted to raise their swords, he just stood there with his strong stature and snout-shaped nose and sharpened tusks and that specific shade of general intimidation that scared kids off. He didn't fight until they attacked, and after making his way through a few metal-adorned warriors who held too much confidence in their posture and abilities-

Well, the kingdoms stopped their petty debate over the land.

It was Techno's home, something that existed in that certain kind of self-governing anarchy. The kind in which it was just one guy living on his own and supplying for himself. It was something perfect, really.

It was clever.

Technoblade was a clever, strong man who just wanted something resembling peace in his two-floor cottage, all on his own.

His family would come through sometimes, breaking his silence and routines in the most welcome sense. They liked that life of travelling, the one in which they kingdom hopped and earned citizenship in no one place. It was a lack of routine they much preferred to anything simpler. It was the familiar chaos that Techno grew up in. 

As a kid, as a little piglin who just wanted adventure and a cool-looking sword from each market place they stopped at- it was nothing short of perfect. He loved that life and all the memories it gave him, but he wanted to settle down now. He was building a life for himself, in the cottage stuck between two kingdoms and all the resources he could ever need.

It was something wonderful and peaceful and simple.

After a childhood of non-stop travel, he loved it more than anything. His biggest worry about stopping to live in one place had been that element of letting his family go, but they checked in on him anytime they were nearby. In between fetch-quests and hikes, they'd stop and stay for a few days.

His littlest brother, Tommy, would bake something. A pie, usually, as a gift that showed off the recipes he picked up through that plethora of villages and kingdoms and towns. He'd go into one of the two nearby kingdoms for ingredients and ignore the stares that came with his tail and raccoon ears and the black at the tip of his nose.

Techno's other brother, the one he called his 'twin' despite the fact that neither of them knew their birthdays, would go with him. Wilbur's claws would be out the whole time as if anyone would do or say much to a cat and raccoon hybrid walking peacefully. No, they just stared because of how much they stood out. But they wouldn't say a word.

And when all of them would go into one of the societies, their crow-hybrid father and Techno himself included, the odd looks weren't about their existence but rather their combination. The silent questions of how all of them could be a family, how the contrasting hybrids were related.

How that works, how that possibly happened.

But in the same way no one said anything directly to a cat hybrid protecting his brother, no one asked those questions out loud to the mixed-hybrid family. If they did, the answer would be simple.

It was those adventures, those years of travelling together, that made them a family. They weren't related by blood nor specie but by their stories and adoration for one another.

Just like Techno loved his simple life in the patch of No Man's Land he claimed as his own, he loved when they stopped to visit.

Techno liked to think that he was clever in the way he crafted a balanced life for himself. Now that he was settled in his routine, the one with a specific welcome interruption, he was sure that nothing could throw his life off course. It was a perfect mixing bowl, a perfected scheme and something that felt straight out of a dream.

Technoblade's house was hand-built. His father and brothers had helped a lot with the whole thing. They resided in a hotel in the outskirts of one of the kingdoms while building it, harvesting and gathering materials and helping him build and build and build.

Tommy mostly got decorations and came up with ideas, and Wilbur did a lot of the fetch-quest work. It was Phil and Techno that did most of the actual building, with the wood and the tools and everything else that went into a two-floor house that seemed plucked out of a fairy tale.

It was when this house was done and stable and decorated that the rest of his family finally started their trek towards a new adventure, leaving Techno with a home and a farm and three friendly puppies (fully grown wolves) to call his own.

The piglin was pretty sure he liked his kitchen the best. The cabinets were painted a pale pink, a funny joke by his littlest raccoon of a brother. And even though it went against Techno's intimidating exterior, he loved it.

Techno loved his kitchen down to the table built by his father and the piano acquired by Wilbur that sat against the wall right next to the refrigerator and the baking book handwritten by Tommy that stayed in a stack next to the oven.

There were flat pieces of glass aligned and attached to the wall behind the sink, colorful and catching the light flooding in through the window. It caused beams of rainbow light to shine through the room during the day, highlighting the tiled floors beautifully. These were the little things he appreciated as he worked through his routine, the stuff he noticed after harvesting his food and storing it wherever it went in his kitchen and through his home.

Maybe he had gone from sword swinging to spending his days slicing home-baked bread, but his life was one ripe for appreciation and enjoyment.

And nothing could throw that off or make it stutter or slow it down.

"What the..." The piglin hybrid slowed himself down in his motions of slicing that fresh baked lavender-honey bread, setting the knife down and pushing the curtain to the over-the-sink window back just a bit further. The curtains were translucent, layered purple and pink fabric embroidered with white floral designs on the edges.

A Phil Watson original, just for his home.

Techno took in the familiar sight of his clearing and then the tree line that led to one of the kingdoms using a lightly-treaded path. His entire clearing was packed with little farms and surrounded by forest, full of animals and flowers and berries on bushes.

Technoblade was very clever with his location selection.

"If a knight knocks on my door I'm knocking someone out." the pink haired man huffed. He heard a noise, he knew it, and he didn't really wanna deal with whatever it was.

He stepped through his kitchen and into the main hallway that connected each room of the first floor together, wearily grabbing the sword that sat alongside his umbrella in the basket by the door. He pulled the cover off and discarded it, holding the weapon carefully as he pulled the wooden door open.

He was fulling expecting to be met with a warrior, or to catch someone on horse back travelling through his land. He had expected something mediocre, something lightly annoying for him to deal with and then get on with his day.

The universe doesn't really care about what you expect, though, does it?

"Are you supposed to be alone?"

He hadn't meant for that to be the first thing he said to this stranger, but it's the first thing that formulates properly in his head and makes it to his mouth. Technoblade didn't express shock often, but he was truly and utterly thrown off by this kid.

A teenager, a child maybe a bit older than his littlest brother.

They were tall and had this shaggy hair that almost reached their shoulders. Their clothes were ragged, aged and hanging off of their body with holes scattered through the fabric. They carried a backpack on their back, but their load was light.

Which meant they were carrying nothing much on them. Which meant they didn't have what they needed to survive.

They were holding their hands up at the sight of the sword, causing Techno to lower it and quickly place it back in the basket because this kid was clearly harmless in every way. They seemed relieved, lowering their hands slowly and clearly trying to figure out what to say.

They still stood with awkwardness in their posture, like they felt out of place on his porch step. Techno thought he was out of place, but he jumped to shock before anger.

"Uh, yeah?" the teenager replied.

Their eyes were different colors; Techno noticed that immediately. One green, one red, surrounded by long eyelashes and a face full of freckles. The only other features that immediately popped out was the kid's ears and tail.

A cat hybrid, like Wilbur. Except this kid's fur was pitch black with touches of white at the end of his tail and the tips of his ears, and not that ginger-ish brown the brunette sported.

"You're a hybrid. On your own." Techno commented, trying to rack his brain for what he was meant to do.

"I am." They confirmed with a light hum.

"You're a hybrid on your own between two primarily human kingdoms that barely accept witchcraft. They aren't the most verbal of people but they will stare and I'm sure there's someone in there that'd hurt people like us."

Outside of Techno's immediate family, outside of those three people he held so closely to his heart, he hadn't met many other hybrids. Technoblade had vague memories of the nether-bound piglin society he was born in, and he recalled a sheep-hybrid named Puffy that befriended his father when he was just a boy.

Tommy had a partial goat friend who would join their travels occasionally, but that's where the list ended.

Every time Techno stumbled across someone like him 'in the wild', outside of the known communities designated for their groups, he was a bit thrown off. When he first met Wilbur, when he first met Phil, when he first met Tommy, when he first met all of them. 

Every time, he froze and could only think to ask where they came from and how they got there. He couldn't help but wonder how they survived. 

"I know about all of that." the kid replied, shrugging like all of this information was nothing much to him. Something they had heard and ingrained in their head a million times over. 

"That doesn't explain why you're here, kid. Who are you?" Techno tried to sound more defensive now, more intimidating in the way that usually got people to go away without a second thought. This child, this cat-hybrid, just stood there with a bit of uncertainty to their stature.

"I'm Ranboo? I don't know why your dad didn't message you, he said he would." the now-identified teenager seemed a bit confused.

"How do you know my dad?" The piglin was more hesitant now.

"Phil, the crow hybrid. He found me hiding out by a village while looking for some sort of crystal."

"Him and his fetch quests." the man scoffed under his breath, shaking his head lightly before speaking louder. "If Phil found you, then you know my brothers."

Techno crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes as if challenging this boy to prove he knew what he was talking about.

"Tommy and Wilbur. Raccoon and cat." Ranboo answered simply. "I promise, I actually know them. I traveled with them for a bit, they were supposed to get me to a hybrid society."

"But most of them are secret or not letting people in." Techno finished that thought with a realization.

"Exactly." he nodded, "So I'm here."

"That doesn't clear much up." the piglin stated.

"Your dad gave me a map, told me that I could stay here. Is that not true?" Ranboo seemed disappointed, in the bone-deep way that came with working towards something only to be told 'no'.

Technoblade stuttered and stumbled over his words. He was annoyed about the fact that his house was volunteered without him even being looped in on the matter, but at the same time-

This was just a kid. A hybrid kid who couldn't of had anywhere else to go.

"Let's get you fed, and we'll talk about it." Techno decided on a response eventually, spinning around on his feet and walking through the hall towards the kitchen. When he didn't hear footsteps following him, he turned back around with a confused look on his face. Ranboo mirrored this expression.

"What, do you not like food or something?"

Ranboo laughed, stepping into the house carefully.

Techno led the pair of them into the kitchen, into his favorite room of the house. He instructed Ranboo to sit at the table, and placed a plate with a chunk of that lavender-honey bread on it in front of him. And once he sat across from them, he tilted his head in this observant sort of way.

"What?" the cat hybrid questioned through a mouthful of food, covering their mouth with their hand.

"Talk, give me something." the piglin made a motion with his hand, something vague but curious.

"Something? Something like what?"

"Something like an introduction."

Techno sat back. Among his simplistic and peaceful life, he had a lot of spare time.

He had all day, and Ranboo had stories to fill those hours.

The kid took in a deep breath before getting started.

2. something shiny

"I forgot to give this to you when I first got here."

Techno jumped as if he was startled, eyes widening as he looked up and processed Ranboo's presence. He was still getting used to regularly living with someone, especially a kid who needed help with the most random of things.

For example, the cat hybrid didn't know how to cook for himself. Techno sort of felt like he was pushed into playing dad, in the same way Phil was when he stumbled across Wilbur and him in a random kingdom all those years ago.

Technoblade pretended to be annoyed by the predicament, but the cat-hybrid was a nice kid and it was hard to get around the fact that they were endearing.

Ranboo giggled, holding out a bag. It was a pull-string shop bag, something that had to have been bought from a wealthy marketplace. "Your dad bought it." the cat-hybrid explained as Techno slowly took it, reaching over the large book in his lap.

The piglin opened the bag. "Something shiny to thank me for taking you in without warning." he scoffed, but he was smiling. He pulled the gold jewelry out, admiring the simple chain. "Playing at my obsessions. It really is smart of him."

"He told me that he was gonna contact you before I got here." Ranboo defended, plopping down on the couch next to older of the pair.

Ranboo was fourteen years old, and he was a weird mix of mature and childish. Mature in the sense that they had clearly been on their own for a long time, they didn't need much attention. Childish in the sense that they wanted it, that they were clearly deprived of it.

"That was so you didn't worry about it. He never planned on warning me." Techno told him, deciding to close his book on magic and other related things because he had a feeling he wouldn't get to read again anytime soon. He set it on the coffee table, bringing his focus back to his new shiny thing.

"Why not?" he tilted his head, like a curious kitten would to anything remotely confusing to them. One of their ears twitched, which got the piglin to smile. Ranboo was still dressed in oversized clothes, but these ones didn't sport any holes or stains. They were oversized because they were Techno's, the smallest stuff he could find in his closet.

"Because if I was warned, I would've overthought it." he explained, unclasping the necklace and reaching back to the nape of his neck to re-clasp it. He reached under his light pink braid, dropping the chain once it was secure. "I probably wouldn't of agreed to it. He knew sending you to my doorstep would work because I can't say 'no' to that."

"You know, I will leave eventually." Ranboo reminded, "We just need to track down a hybrid society."

"Yeah, but who knows how long that'll be?" Techno pointed out, "You might as well settle in."

"Yeah." Ranboo hummed, seemingly liking the idea of that. "I was wondering about something, though."

"What's up, kid?"

"I wanted to know how I can help, like on the farms or with the wolves. I don't know how to do a lot, but I could learn."

"You don't have to do anything, just stay out of the way while I do what I need to. And clean up after yourself." Techno shrugged.

"But I'm living here. Uninvited." the kid scrunched up his nose at the thought, crossing their arms. "I could learn to cook or something so that you're not the only one doing it."

Techno thought for a moment. "If you insist on helping, you can take over feeding the dogs. I have them on a farm-to-dog bowl diet, rice and meat and stuff. I'll show you how to put it together and go over the times with you."

Ranboo considered this. "And this would actually help you?"

"A bit, yeah. Saves me time I can spend on...something else, I'll figure it out." Technoblade hummed, "Just know that if you feed them, they're gonna wanna cuddle you."

"Oh, they're so big. And energetic." Ranboo's eyes widened.

"Wilbur gets a bit overwhelmed by the wolves too. But they're nice, I promise."

"Maybe it's a cat hybrid thing. Other animals scare me."

"But not other hybrids?"

"Not usually. Phil was kinda scary when I first saw him, but the moment he started talking all dad-like I was like 'oh, okay'."

Technoblade chuckled at this, "Me meeting him went down the same way. Wilbur and I just stuck with him through travels and we eventually picked up Tommy from this town square."

"How'd you find him?" Ranboo was a curious kid, always asking gentle questions and continuing this back and forth where they were always the one listening.

"He was literally in an alley picking through trash. Y'know, normal raccoon activities."

Ranboo giggled at this, "I do a lot of climbing and I curl up into a little ball when I sleep. Hybrids are like their animal counterparts in a lot of ways."

"Which is why this shiny thing trick worked." Techno lifted the necklace again, shaking his head lightly. He sighed after a moment, "I think it's about time to feed them. To the kitchen."

"To the kitchen!" Ranboo cheered, jumping off of the couch and disappearing into the hallway before Techno could even fully stand up.

Technoblade was still getting used to living with a kid, especially one so energetic.

3. something helpful

"Ranboo!"

Techno called the kid's name from the kitchen, pulling ingredients and utensils and dishes from various spots around the pretty-looking kitchen as he waited for the kid to appear. He stopped expecting to hear footsteps down the stairs a while ago, instead waiting for the teenager to announce his presence with a greeting like he usually did.

"What's up?" they appeared, entering from the hallway. Their hair was lightly curled and still damp, as if they had showered earlier that day. Wilbur had gone through a phase during a good chunk of his childhood where he hated water, just like a typical cat, but Ranboo had no trouble with it.

Ranboo had a routine of taking a bubble bath once a week, every Saturday morning while Techno worked on the farms outside. Then, when they were both done, the kid would stick his nose in a book. He'd ask Techno about how to go about pronouncing certain words or what they meant fairly often.

And the piglin would always explain it to him, and ask him to use the word in a sentence to prove that he was learning something. If Ranboo wasn't going to go to school like the children in the kingdoms, they were still gonna learn useful stuff as it came up in their day-to-day lives. That's what Phil did with him and his brothers, and the three of them were turning out just fine.

Techno made a motion for them instead of replying verbally right away.

The teenager was dressed in clothes that fit him better, something that came from a trip into a kingdom market place.

Ranboo hadn't gone with Techno that day. When the man got back, he found them napping in the living room chair closest to the hallway that led to the front door. All three of the wolves were curled up sleeping just in front of the chair, as if protecting the child.

Technoblade left him to sleep in his oversized clothes until dinner was done. And even then, he only woke them up because he needed to eat.

And the way in which Ranboo jumped up to greet him, the way he excitedly hugged him when he saw all the clothes he was being given-

Well, it's part of what made Technoblade not mind having a kid pushed onto him like it was nothing. It's part of what made Techno so okay with the unpredictable interruption to his simple life.

"I'm gonna show you how to bake lavender-honey bread." Techno set some measuring cups on the counter, "It's the stuff I gave you back when you first got here. I just got more honey from the kingdom marketplace, so I wanted to make more."

"And I get to help?" Ranboo looked excited, coming over in a fast motion. On the counter, Tommy's handwritten notebook of acquired recipes was propped open to Techno's favorite thing to make.

Techno nodded. "I keep seeing you flip through this thing." he motioned to the leather-bound book, "You wanna know more about baking."

Ranboo flushed, but he nodded. "I didn't know how to ask for help."

"You could always just say 'hey, I wanna know how to do this but don't. Teach me?'." the piglin pointed out with a slightly amused tone. "But direct communication is like, against the law or something."

"Just show me how to do this." the kid shifted the focus immediately.

"Okay, okay, fine." Techno agreed, not wanting to upset him with his teasing. "So we start with flour..."

They spend a decent chunk of the day preparing dough and then letting it rise (they cleaned the kitchen and talked about other recipes they could try while waiting) and then actually baking it. And hours later, when Ranboo bites into the fresh bread, their face lights up like they're proud of themselves.

Through the process of preparing everything, Techno would give them simple instructions and let them take a shot at it themselves. There were multiple points where he had to step in and guide them more directly, such as helping them pour the milk, but Ranboo did pretty well with the whole thing.

The smile on Ranboo's face makes Techno smile, and the piglin promises himself he'd do anything he could to keep it there.

4. something convenient

"How does this work?"

Ranboo was sat on the counter next to where Technoblade had sat up a crystal ball, intending to contact Phil. Instead of sending messages and letters through human communication systems, the family was much more into using magical forms of messaging.

"Well," Techno began, "Casting a spell on this with the intention of contacting a certain person will sort of charm them. Instinctually, the person will know someone's trying to call them. They'll be drawn to another crystal ball, a mirror, a puddle on the ground, that sort of thing."

"And then the call will begin?" Ranboo did their head tilt thing. It was one of the first mannerisms Techno picked up on, one of the first things he noticed in those beginning days back when he first arrived. And once you noticed it, it became clear that the teenager did it all the time.

He was curious and confused by the littlest of things. It was sweet, honestly. Even though he had to have done plenty of traveling, there was a lot he didn't know much about. Like magic, for example.

"If the service is good enough, yeah."

"Service? Magical crystal ball calls aren't universally stable?"

"That'd be too convenient." the piglin joked.

Since Ranboo's arrival about a month prior, Techno had contacted his family plenty of times. With every new call and voice message or owl-delivered letter, the trio of hybrids were in a different place. Phil had apologized for throwing a kid in his direction, and he really was working on finding a safe place for Ranboo to stay more permanently, but Techno stopped being upset about the catboy-shaped surprise after a few weeks.

It was nice having the kid around.

"Is he not picking up?" Ranboo asked, furrowing his eyebrows at the way Techno just looked at the enchanted object in an anticipating sort of way. 

Their hair was braided back clumsily, something they had done themselves. It was shorter and messier and simpler than anything Technoblade could do, but it was endearing to see that mimicry.

Techno planned on offering to do their hair for them soon, he just needed to find the right moment to offer it.

"Pretty much. It usually takes a minute." Techno hummed. Right as he finished his sentence, a bell sound echoed through the kitchen and Phil's face appeared in the crystal. The image was clear, so he must've been using a mirror. "Dad! Hello."

"Hello!" Phil greeted. The piglin and the cat hybrid tried to get a look at the environment behind him. He was chilling in a cave, a low-burning fire in the background with Wilbur and Tommy sat around it. "Sorry it took a minute to answer, we were getting a fire going."

"And where are you guys, exactly?"

"Somewhere in a forest. Dad got us lost!" Tommy's voice cut in, shouting through the cave and echoing off the rock that surrounded them.

"I did not." Phil defended immediately, "We're turning around, going somewhere else because we heard that there's a witchcraft society that accepts hybrids. We're gonna look into it."

"Oh." Ranboo almost sounded disappointed, but they smiled anyways, "Do you think it'll be a good place for me to go?"

"I'm not even sure it exists yet, to be honest." Phil replied, "Humans tell stories about made up magic way to often for how much real magic there is."

"I'm not that worried about it." Techno admitted, "I'm in no rush to get this kid out."

Phil gave an amused smile, "Oh, yeah?"

"He feeds my dogs and helps me bake. It's purely a convenience thing." the piglin insisted playfully, causing Ranboo to roll his eyes.

"What do you think, Ranboo? How are you liking it there?" Phil asked.

"It's good." Ranboo hummed, earning a smile from Techno. "My room has more stuff in it now, Techno gets me little trinkets every time he goes into the kingdoms. I fall asleep on the couch a lot, though."

"Yeah, and then I carry you up to your room. You're too big for that, kid." Techno was still teasing.

"You could just leave me on the couch." The teenager pointed out. "Y'know, instead of complaining."

"No, no, kids should sleep in their beds. Better for posture."

"You grew up travelling." Phil argued, "Your brothers are sleeping on literal rock."

"Shh." Techno said, "I'm right, don't fight me on this."

Ranboo laughed at their bickering, smile spread across their face. "I'm gonna miss this." they said.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, when we find somewhere for me to go. I'll miss you guys." they explained further, shrinking back a bit as if they were nervous. "You'll visit me wherever I am, right?"

"Depends on if the community will let people in and out-" Phil began with his reasonable and unsure answer, but Technoblade cut him off.

"Definitely." he assured without missing a beat. "We wouldn't just leave you behind."

And Technoblade meant what he said.

Ranboo was convenient to have around, but he was also good company to have.

Techno wasn't sure if he'd be able to leave that behind the moment they located a more permanent home.

5. something fun

"You could've told me your birthday was coming up."

Ranboo had been there for a lot longer than originally planned. The season had faded from summer's end to early fall, and talk of possible places for the teenager to go had faded out.

It was easy to forget that he was supposed to leave, honestly.

Techno had been so used to living alone, but now he genuinely didn't know if he could go back to that. If he could go back to making food for himself and himself only. He tried not to think about it.

"Oh, right. That." Ranboo hummed, glancing up from the book in his lap. The kid was settled into his bed, the piglin at the door frame. "I'm fifteen in like a week. Wow, so cool. Crazy."

Ranboo had developed a sarcastic and playful nature at some point, around the same time he had gotten more comfortable in the home.

"I'm serious." Techno entered the room fully. "I wanna do something to celebrate. My dad always found a way to make birthdays special, even when we were on the road. I wanna do something for you."

Ranboo occupied the room that had been Phil's when he visited, but not one minded. The ceiling was slanted due to it being on the second floor. The teenager's bed was covered in all sorts of pillows and blankets and little stuffed toys.

Phil said it was because Techno's love language was gift giving. Technoblade said it was because the kid deserved all of the little nice things in the world and then some.

"You don't have to do that. You already do so much for me anyways." Ranboo assured, "I'm fine."

"You could've told me so that I didn't find out from my dad." the piglin sat down on the mattress. At the same time, in the same way Technoblade always did when he was interrupted while reading, Ranboo shut their book and reached over to set it on the bedside table.

"You never asked." the teenager shrugged a bit.

"I didn't think to!" Techno pointed out, "We're doing something. What would you want?"

"I don't know! I don't usually do anything." Ranboo pulled the end of his braid over his shoulder, fiddling with the end of it. They now had a routine of coming into the living room with wet hair and asking the piglin to do it for him. And each time, Techno would sit them between his knees on the floor and run that wooden brush through the shaggy and loose curls.

Then, he'd braid it back oh-so-carefully, like the kid was the most delicate thing in the world. Like they'd shatter if their hair was tugged on a little too much.

Ranboo would always go run to the bathroom and shout out something about 'loving it' through the first floor of the house.

"Your 'usually' was travelling and sometimes running from violent humans. It's different now. Think within reason, what's something you would want to do?" Techno pushed further. Ranboo paused this time, moving on to fiddling with his hands instead of their hair.

"How safe are the neighboring kingdoms? For us, I mean."

"It's...fine? I haven't encountered anyone violent but you will be stared at. Maybe get a dumb question or two. It's not comfortable, but it's safe." Techno answered. "Why? Do you wanna go shopping?"

"Could we?" Ranboo asked quietly, hesitantly.

"Yes, yes definitely. We can get the ingredients for a cake. And there's a book store, a little one right next to a clothing shop." the piglin realized that he felt excited about getting to treat Ranboo with something special, "It'll be fun."

"Okay." the cat hybrid hummed, nodding slightly. "Thanks."

"There's a cafe, too." Techno added, "We'll make a whole day of it. It'll be great."

"It'll be great." Ranboo repeated with a slight chuckle, as if they were amused.

And it was great.

As Techno said, people stared as they made their way into the kingdom and into the market square. Ranboo was energized by the atmosphere, the bustling and moving and productivity taking place around him. There was a smile plastered across their face, one Techno would do anything to see again and again. All the time. Into infinity.

As promised, they went to that cafe for tea and muffins. They encountered a kind human woman named Niki there, one Techno greeted with familiarity. When they were paying, Ranboo wrinkled their eyebrows at how techno pulled a jar of herbs from his bag instead of gold.

"This market place has a secondary economy, one based off of a barter and trade system." Techno explained as the trade was made, "I avoid paying with gold as much as I can. Lots of these stores will accept trinkets and such."

"Oh." Ranboo nodded slightly, taking a bite from his chocolate chip muffin. "Cool. Thanks!"

"You're welcome." the pink haired woman smiled, "Happy birthday!"

They left that little shop not long after that, and Techno led the way to that bookshop he mentioned. There, Ranboo picked out a handful of books about basic spells he was interested in picking up and one about a prince falling for a merman. Next door, in the clothing shop, Techno picked out various shiny things that he thought suited the kid.

And Techno had good taste when it came to pretty shiny things, so Ranboo loved each and every one just as much as the man thought he would.

"Are we done here?" the piglin cut through Ranboo's thoughts as he stored the small bag of jewelry in his messenger bag. Ranboo didn't answer before Techno spoke again, him following the kid's line of sight across the little building. "The dresses? Did you wanna go look?"

Ranboo gave a hesitant look that questioned something along the lines of 'can I?' without a single word. "Might as well, we're already here." Techno decided without batting an eye, wrapping a protective arm around their shoulders and leading them towards that section of the store. There was a few racks, showing off a variety of hand-sewn dresses in different sizes.

Some were frilly, others were glittery. Some short, some long. Certain ones only came in pastel shades and a few were almost entirely black.

Ranboo just stood there, as if they were afraid that flipping through them would earn judgement.

"Go on, pick something to try on. You need a nice birthday outfit anyways." The piglin pushed encouragingly. That got the teenager to step forward.

It doesn't take long for the kid to find something, something dark blue with white lace trimming the waist and the edge of the long sleeves. The lace on the waist tied into a bow that sized the torso, allowing the skirt to flow out with a sheer and glittery top layer. It dropped down to the bottom of their calves when they tried it on.

"I like it." Techno hummed, "If you're getting a dress, we clearly need shoes too."

"Is that how it works?" Ranboo asked, smiling slightly.

"And if you're getting shoes, we should get ruffle socks."

"That's a bit much."

"Oh, and we need a bow for your hair."

Ranboo giggled, but they didn't protest.

They looked so darling when the whole outfit was put together. Techno paid for the whole thing by trading in some old jewelry with rare gems and Ranboo left the store in it. Their tail was kept under the skirt, just barely long enough to stick out under the end of the layered fabric. When they got home, Techno would cut a hole in the fabric so that his tail could be placed more comfortably.

The piglin was starting to think of the cottage as the kid's "home", more than willing to share the clever, simple lifestyle with them.

As the pair walked through the market place, Ranboo kept spinning and spinning whenever there was space for the playfulness, absolutely delighted by the way the skirt twirled with him. This continued after they gathered the ingredients for a strawberry cake and butter cream frosting and even a few candles for the special birthday treat.

"You like the dress, then?" Techno sounded amused, earning a nod from Ranboo. "I'm glad. It looks nice."

Ranboo didn't say anything, changing the topic almost immediately as if they were embarrassed. "Where are we going now?"

"Our last stop, it's a weaponry shop." Techno turned onto a new brick-paved street, noticing how naturally the kid fell into step with him. How he seemed to just know where they were headed, paying close enough attention that he could figure out where Techno was leading them without needing to be told.

"Why are we going to a weaponry shop?" Ranboo seemed concerned now, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. They did that ever-repeated head tilt, too, that distinctly kitten-like one.

"I'm buying you a dagger." Techno said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, his words simple and standing confidently without the elaboration he didn't think was necessary.

"Why do I need a dagger?" The cat hybrid questioned, asking for that specific and previously unneeded elaboration.

"It's useful. You can protect yourself with it." The piglin didn't mind to explain, the pair continuing to make their way through the marketplace of this little kingdom.

"Can't you protect me?"

When they say it, their voice is soft. Curious. Genuine.

Vulnerable.

"I- yes, of course I can." Technoblade isn't quite sure how to reply at first, faltering in his steps before eventually just coming to a stop. Ranboo seemed a little scared by the idea of having to protect himself from any sort of danger, a little scared by the idea of wielding a dagger or anything sharp.

Whenever Techno showed them how to cook and bake different recipes, the pink-haired man took over for any slicing or chopping needed. Ranboo didn't like sharp things.

"Then why do I need a knife?" Ranboo pushed as Techno pulled them to the side of the bustling walkway, so that they weren't blocking the pathway anymore. 

"Dagger." Techno corrected, "And it's just so that I can teach you. Just in case I'm not home and something pops up, or-"

"Or for when I move away. Once we find somewhere for me to go." Ranboo interrupted, sounding as if he was just remembering this fact. His voice was sad, something disappointed.

"Right." Technoblade hummed. On the tip of his tongue, there was an offer of permanent residency. An offer for that cottage in the no man's land to be the kid's forever home, the place they settled down in rather than whatever hybrid society they could find for them.

But that would throw off the plan. That would complicate Techno's previously planned life.

The man wasn't sure he cared. But he wasn't sure he could take care of a kid permanently, either.

So that offer was tucked under his tongue, something right there that could be pulled out whenever it was needed.

"I want you to learn useful skills while you're with me. And if I'm gonna teach you how to protect yourself, you need a dagger."

"Yeah, okay." Ranboo nodded, a little too fast. "Let's go."

"Are you okay?" Techno questioned, reaching out a hand to grab their shoulder before he could step back out onto the street. "You don't even know where we're going."

"I- yes, I'm fine. I think I'm getting tired."

"We're heading home after we get this." Techno assured. "You can rest, if you want. We can make the cake later tonight."

"Yeah, that sounds good." The kid seemed like they just wanted to move on, to keep going and get distracted from whatever emotions they were feeling in relation to the idea of leaving. Techno was concerned, but he didn't wanna push further.

He already felt bad about dampening their previously joyful mood, the one in which they spun around and around repeatedly in that dark blue dress with that smile on his freckle adorned face. He didn't know that something he found so cool and interesting would freak out the teenager so much.

Phil taught him how to use a dagger and then a sword when he was twelve and thirteen. It felt only logical, and responsible, to pass those skills onto this kid. He might not be their dad, he might not be the person that would raise him for the rest of his life, but he was there now.

It was his job to do those parental things, wasn't it? To teach them how to protect themselves and how to survive and how to cook and all those other things they never learned because they never had a family.

At least for now, it was Technoblade's job to do everything Phil did for him for Ranboo.

Technoblade pushed this all to the side, agreeing to let them move on from whatever was going on in that little head of his. The piglin continued to lead them towards the weaponry shop.

When they enter, Ranboo's shoulders tense up as if their worried and freaked out all over again even though they said they were fine. Techno didn't say anything, wrapping and arm around their shoulders. This seemed to comfort him a bit.

Ranboo gets distracted by the crystal daggers with the still sharp but less scary-looking blades immediately. It's one of those that they pick out, one with twine and polished wood making up the handle. While Techno was commenting on it's different possible uses, Ranboo was admiring how pretty it looked.

Technoblade was of the belief that weapons should look 'cool' or 'threatening', not pretty, but at least the kid seemed a little more comfortable in the idea of owning a weapon.

They go home after that, eventually baking a strawberry cake. Ranboo insisted on keeping the dress on and that resulted in Techno insisting he wore an apron. He had to dig into the very back of the hallway closet to find the apron Tommy bought for himself as a joke, a white-colored one with frills and ruffles.

Ranboo genuinely liked it, not as a joke.

Techno usually made the kid eat 'real food', but because it was their birthday, they were allowed to eat cake and then pass out. The next day, the piglin would start to train him in using the dagger and on the spells in those new books, but for now-

For now, the cat hybrid was curled up on the couch next to him, sleeping soundly with their head in the older man's lap. Technoblade unbraided his hair and ran a brush through the shaggy and loose curls at some point, so the brown locks were all sprawled out over his lap.

For now, that was all either of them had to worry about.

Technoblade remembers the wolves falling asleep in various spots in the living room before he passed out. He was glad they did something fun for the kid's birthday.

They deserved it and so much more.

6. something special

"Are you excited?"

Technoblade was stood at the kitchen table, mixing ingredients in his personal cauldron while Ranboo frantically scrambled around the kitchen, trying to bake 'something special' for Techno's family. They were coming to visit, set to arrive at some point that day.

The kid had been waiting and waiting, possibly more anticipatory than Techno himself, since Phil mentioned their path crossing by nearly two weeks prior.

"Of course I'm excited." Ranboo replied, "I'm overtime baking, I'm wearing a dress, I cleaned the entire house."

As he spoke, he motioned to himself and around them as if that proved his point.

"You do all of those things anyways." Techno sprinkled cinnamon into the liquid mixture in front of him.

"Well, I- Ugh, whatever." Ranboo threw their hands up, "I'm excited." They stated again, this time more decisively.

The piglin chuckled, "Alright, alright. They're all excited to see you, too."

Instead of replying to that thought, Ranboo stared at the organized mess of their personal baking process in front of them.

"Tommy's gonna take a bite out of one of my brownies and call out something I would've never thought about." the teenager sighed dramatically, whisking a bunch of dry ingredients in a large purple bowl as if their life depended on it.

"That's Tommy's job as our resident baker, it doesn't mean you're not also good at it. Plus, the raccoon couldn't sew anything if his life depended on it. So, you have zero competition there." The piglin assured. At this, Ranboo swished their hips a bit, showing off their pastel orange dress with the white frilly apron layered on top.

That was the kid's new thing- fashion, sewing, designing things just for himself. They had said something about how gender expression came easiest when they could just design the clothes they pictured in their head, and Technoblade wasn't the kind to stop them from learning something new. Especially if it made them feel nicer about themselves.

"Oh! Speaking of, I made a quilt for the living room. It's on my bed because I finished it this morning." Ranboo told him.

"You're always making all sorts of things for this house." Techno complained, but he was smiling, "Thanks."

"Someone's gotta make it look pretty 'round here." the cat hybrid replied sassily, but they were smiling too. They did that a lot, pretending to insult or complain or be upset but they were always smiling.

It was always just a game, something they were both in on.

Ranboo's hair was longer than it used to be. He never brought up getting it cut and Technoblade wasn't going to push him into it. In fact, Ranboo seemed to like his reflection more how that his braids were longer. The previously shaggy curls tightened up a bit more, too, as a result of a hair care spell that reversed whatever had previously damaged it.

Today, they wore it in a ponytail, a few curls left out to frame their face. They had called themselves 'pretty' when they looked into the mirror that morning, which was more than enough to make Technoblade smile. The piglin found himself happiest when Ranboo was comfortable.

"Are you implying that my house wasn't pretty before you arrived?" The older man gasped as if he was offended.

"Well, the rainbow-glass window is pretty nice. And the pink cabinets, too."

"Tommy did most of the design work." Techno chuckled. "I'm a bit worried that you two together will result in glitter on my walls or something."

"Everything could use a bit of sparkle." Ranboo raised his eyebrows in a challenging manner.

"Don't put glitter on my walls."

"Uh-huh, sure thing."

"Don't even think about it."

"Oh, don't worry."

"What does that even mean?"

Before Ranboo could keep the playful banter going, a knock rang through the first floor of the little cottage. Something fast and loud and over-eager. The cat-hybrid dropped the whisk into the bowl and went running through the hall and to the door. By the time Techno could process the fact that they were moving, he could hear the front door get pulled open.

"What if it wasn't them and we were being attacked?" he scolded slightly as he came to the doorway. Ranboo was hugging Phil already.

"Then I'd put those dagger skills to work." they replied, motioning to their waist. Under the apron but still visible, was their belt that held their familiar crystal dagger.

"Oooh, can I see? Phil won't let me have one." Tommy leaned over. His face was smudged in some sort of grime, but his dimples and bright-blue eyes still stood out against everything. The black tip of his nose twitched, and his striped tail hung below his tan-colored pants.

"You are fourteen." Ranboo said, but they pulled the weapon out regardless. They handled it in the careful and confident way Technoblade taught them to.

"Almost fifteen." Tommy scrunched up his nose, "It's a crystal. That's so cool."

"You haven't taught Tommy how to use a dagger? I learned when I was twelve." Technoblade looked to his father instead of watching the two kids interact.

"You were responsible at twelve. Tommy will get there...later." Phil shook his head lightly, the two adults stepping into the house while the teenagers were already distracted. "It's a bit safer for him now than it was for you as a kid, I don't think he needs those skills as much at you and Wilbur did at his age. It's good you're teaching Ranboo, though, for when he's...on his own."

The crow hybrid trailed off, pulling his hat off of his head and hanging it on the hook by the door. He finished his sentence using this unsure tone, as if he doubted the idea that Ranboo would be leaving at all.

Technoblade didn't address it, deciding to take the chance to shift the topic. "Speaking of Wilbur, where is he?"

"He stopped to spend a little while with his human friend, Niki? The one who runs the cafe. He'll be here before dark." Phil replied. "Just us for a bit."

"Ah, alright." Techno hummed, "Ranboo's baking and I'm brewing, I kinda need to finish up but we can catch up as I work."

Right as the piglin was explaining this to his father, Ranboo was going through the same conversation with Tommy. It took the easily distractible teenagers longer, but eventually all four of them end up working around each other in the kitchen, talking and chattering while retrieving ingredients and mixing them and running over the steps that went into sweet food and homely magic.

Tommy worked alongside Ranboo, and Phil helped out his son. The two pairs occasionally cut into each other's conversations, but it was mostly two separate rounds of 'catching up' going on. It was something that'd repeat when Wilbur got there. It was the tradition that took place when the entire family was under one roof, and now Ranboo was being looped into it.

It was almost odd, how quickly Ranboo was being clicked into the family traditions and patterns. It was weirdly comfortable, how it felt like the kid was always meant to be there.

It made the idea of them leaving a little harder to swallow.

"It's nice seeing them interact with each other, isn't it?" Phil asked Techno quietly, glancing over to the two teenagers. "Tommy's never had anyone his own age around consistently, especially not another hybrid. He has Tubbo, sometimes, but you know how that is."

"Yeah, I do. It is nice." Techno hummed, "I'm glad they get along."

"Travelling with the two of them for those weeks before sending Ran your way was a disaster. A fun disaster, but a disaster nonetheless." Phil joked. "Still sorry about that, by the way. Sending a whole child your way without a warning wasn't my best move."

"I don't think I mind." the piglin shrugged, chuckling lightly. "I mean, it was a shock to have a kid on my doorstep. And giving out my location to a stranger wasn't something I loved, but it's alright. Just this once."

Phil looked at Techno for a moment, seemingly stuck in thought. He wanted to say something, to ask something, the younger hybrid could almost hear the question on the tip of the crow's tongue. But just when he went to open his mouth and finally let whatever it was out, Ranboo and Tommy high-fived before looking their way.

Both kids had nearly identical looks, ones of hyperactive and childlike excitement.

"Can you listen for the oven timer? I wanna show Tommy my room." Ranboo asked Techno, who nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, go on." the piglin nodded, "I'll shout when it goes off."

"Cool. Thanks!"

With that, the two kids scurried off, chattering away about something that adults couldn't keep up with. Somehow, the young cat hybrid was even more energetic than he usually was. Techno could actually hear their footsteps trail up the stairs, contrasting to their usual quietness.

The moment the kids were out of sight, Phil looked to his son again.

"What is it?" Techno questioned, "You keep looking at me like that, since you got here. And sometimes on calls. So, what is it?"

"Do you actually want Ranboo to go?" Phil sighed. "I mean, we're struggling to find somewhere for him anyways. Is it worth tracking down one of few villages when he's happy here? When you like their presence? When Tommy gets along with him, and so does Wilbur?"

"He was supposed to leave, that was the plan. I can't raise a kid." He sounded as if he wasn't convinced of his own words.

"You already have been. For nearly half a year, at this point." Phil pointed out.

"I was never meant to be a dad. And raising a hybrid kid- I can't just do that at the drop of a dime."

"You've been doing great so far."

"They deserve better than me and my daggers and wolves. He deserves a community, with other kids and parents that are prepared. He shouldn't have to settle for..." Technoblade motioned around himself, "This. I love it, but I couldn't imagine growing up here with only one other person."

"You grew up travelling with your family. We weren't a whole community, but we were more than enough for each other, right?" The crow hybrid was trying to get through to him, and Techno didn't want to admit that he was right.

"Yeah, obviously. But I choose that, I didn't settle for it."

"So ask Ranboo if this is what he wants!" Phil exclaimed, "I know you think you aren't good enough for anyone, but you are and that kid loves you just as much as the rest of us do. You can see it. You make them comfortable."

Technoblade didn't respond, staring down into the cauldron in front of him. He had stopped stirring the liquid at some point.

"He wears his hair like yours. It's in a ponytail today but in all the calls, they wear a braid. Just like yours. Do you do it for them?"

"They tried to do it on their own and it was a mess. Of course I started doing it for them." The piglin shrugged.

"For someone who says he wasn't meant to be a father, but you're doing very...dad-like things for this kid."

"Because I'm taking care of him now." Techno defended. "Someone has to do it."

"And would you like to keep doing that?" Phil pushed.

"Maybe." Techno replied a bit to fast, shrinking back at the doubtful look his father gave. "Yes, I would. But Ranboo shouldn't have to settle for me. He should have a choice, he should be allowed to leave if he wants."

Phil smiled at this admission, "So ask if he'd like to stay here."

"But if I ask now, when there's nowhere for him to go anyways- I mean, that's not really much of a choice, is it?"

"It's a hypothetical choice that can save us a lot of work."

"Just...keep looking, okay? I love the kid, but if there's a chance at a more normal life, I want him to have the option to take it." The pink-haired man had never heard himself sound so mature before. Maybe he really was becoming a dad, right under his own nose.

"He's gonna choose to stay here, you know. There's no point." The older hybrid sounded more lighthearted now, chuckling a bit. He seemed glad Technoblade had even admitted that he was opening his heart up to a new person, even if he was still pushing against it to some extent.

"You don't know that, though."

"I have the right to say 'I told you so' when it happens."

"Oh, whatever, old man."

"You're the one that's about to adopt a kid."

"Not officially. And, you have three kids."

"Whatever, old man."

There's something special about that conversation that Technoblade held close to his heart. It just made the piglin think, honestly, about the kid that appeared on his doorstep that he couldn't turn away.

The kid that he didn't think he could let go of if he tried.

Later that day, Wilbur arrives and the entire family is under one roof for the first time in a while. Without anyone really thinking about it, Ranboo is grouped into the mismatched family in all of their heads.

Like nothing, like magic, like second-nature, he's welcomed.

No one really thinks about it, but everyone seems to know that the additional kid brought something special to their little family.

Tommy wrote his new acquired recipes into the baking book and then went over them with Ranboo. Wilbur showed off new songs, written and learned, even going as far as showing Ranboo how to strum at the strings with only a little clumsiness in his movements. Phil showed Ranboo some magic, simple spells the kid attempted to replicate.

In return, Ranboo showed off his hand-sewn clothes and original beaded jewelry. It was like a talent trade-off, where everyone got to brag a little then compliment a little.

Technoblade resorted to showing off his cool swords and freshly grown potatoes, because he couldn't think of anything else to flaunt.

Maybe it was all a bit silly, but it was more than special for that reason alone.

7. something like family

Technoblade really needed to talk to Ranboo.

The piglin had been procrastinating it for weeks.

"What's going on?" The cat hybrid came into the living room, immediately sensing that something was off once his eyes landed on the older hybrid. The pink haired man was sat on the couch, with this posture that was much too professional and prepared for his own home.

"Sit down, I need to talk to you." Techno told him, motioning him over in the same way he always did. In a way the piglin hadn't seen from Ranboo since his first weeks there, the kid's face dropped into something anxious and tense rather than casual and comfortable, the teenager coming over to the couch hesitantly.

"Did I do something?" These are the first words they say once they're sat down, causing Technoblade to reel back with concern.

"No! No, you're perfect. Amazing, perfect, lovely. You've done nothing wrong." His voice was a little panicked as he jumped to comfort the kid. They were wearing their hair in a braid, one with a few dried out flowers woven in as temporary hair pieces. They matched the fabric of their dress, one they wore around the house constantly because the fabric was soft.

Their closet was filled with all sorts of dresses, most of them hand-sewn or altered by the kid themselves. In less than a year, he had picked up and mastered so many things. It was something Techno loved about them, the way they would put their mind to something and learn it in the blink of an eye.

"Then why are you acting so weird?" Ranboo questioned, twirling the end of his braid around his fingers. "You're all nervous but you're Technoblade, so you don't get nervous."

The older hybrid laughed, "I've evolved beyond the need for anxiety." he joked back. The kid smiled but still waited for an explanation. "Okay, I am a bit worried, but you haven't done anything wrong. It's just..."

"Just...?" they echoed back encouragingly, in the same way Technoblade did to them when they couldn't figure out how to word something or gather the courage to ask for help with something. It was weird to have those little things used on him, instead of the other way around.

"Phil found a village, one that's willing to take in kids. There are these two ladies, cat hybrids too- they can't have a kid and want one. There's a school house and a library and a playground and all the nice things the kingdoms have, but it's all hybrids and the government is looser."

"Oh." Ranboo paused. "Isn't this a good thing?" they sounded completely unconvinced of their own words, as if they were forcing them out and trying to make them sound true.

"Yeah, they've been looking for months." Technoblade sounded just as unhappy.

"Seven and three weeks." Ranboo corrected more precisely. "Well, a bit over eight if you count the few weeks I was with them before I came here. Seven months and three weeks is just how long I've been living here."

"Do you wanna go?" the pink-haired man asked, looking towards Ranboo hopefully. Ranboo tilted their head, in that kitten-like way they did a lot. "To the village. Do you want to go?"

Even thought Technoblade didn't mean for it to come out the way it did, but it was easy to assume that he wanted the younger hybrid to say no just by listening to the tone of his voice.

"That was the plan, right? Don't I have to?" the teenager sounded disappointed, sulking back a little. "You didn't want me here in the first place."

"I wasn't warned, but I don't and never minded your presence. I actually enjoy it a lot." Techno corrected. "And, yeah, that was the plan. I've been telling myself that over and over again for months. But you don't have to go if you don't want to."

Ranboo didn't seem to believe him, "You don't have to say that. This is your home."

"It could be yours too." Technoblade admitted in a quick breath. "But it's up to you. That's the point, you get a choice here."

"Phil went through months and months of work to find somewhere for me to go." the teenager groaned, flopping back on the couch dramatically.

"That's what he said." the piglin chuckled, leaning back too. "He asked me months ago if I wanted you to stay here."

"And?" Ranboo probed, tone curious.

"I already said that I do." Techno smiled lightly. The kid gave him this sweet look, one that let the older hybrid know to lift his arm so that the younger one could cuddle up to his side.

"You were like, a little scary when you opened that door on the first day with a sword. But you're not scary anymore because you're Technoblade, and you protect me by being scary to other people." Ranboo rambled a bit as he settled into the older hybrid's arms, shifting a bit to get comfortable.

As they did that, Technoblade did the totally not dad-like thing and started to pull that quilted blanket over his legs so that they didn't get cold.

"And by giving you a dagger so you can protect yourself."

"Oh, yeah. But no one would thinks to mess with me when you're there, I think." Ranboo lifted his head into the touch when Technoblade began to lightly scratch at his scalp, careful to not mess up the pretty braid too much.

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Because you're big and scary-looking."

"Scary-looking?" Technoblade sounded playfully offended. He did that when the teenager acted a bit childish, playing along and dramatizing his reactions just so Ranboo could have fun with the attention he was getting.

"In an endearing dad-like way." he added quickly.

"Like Phil?"

"Yeah." They confirmed with a hum.

"Oh god, I'm turning into my dad." The piglin pretended to be horrified now.

"Are you gonna acquire three kids somehow?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Already got one. You're definitely all I need, though." Techno poked their cheek.

"Me? Your kid?" Ranboo lifted his head, face a little more serious. A little more hopeful and focused-in.

"I mean, are you sticking around?" He questioned in response.

"Oh, I have to think about it." the kid replied playfully. Techno rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything, Ranboo spoke up again- "Thought about it. I'm willing to stay as long as you buy me a shiny chain like yours."

The kid reached up and pulled gently at his chain, the same one Phil sent with Ranboo to belatedly apologize for sending a whole child to his doorstep unannounced.

"You're agreeing to unofficial adoption for a shiny necklace? That's an equal trade to you?" Technoblade questioned, raising his eyebrows curiously.

"Maybe I really am your kid." Ranboo stated thoughtfully, breaking out into laughter when the piglin pushed them away.

"Oh, get off of me, you dork." Techno watched the kid fall off the couch, sitting up a bit just to make sure they weren't actually hurt.

"You just said that I'm your dork! You can't get rid of me now." The teenager poked his head up, legs still all tangled in the fabric of the blanket.

"Wasn't planning on it." The piglin chuckled, watching them give up on getting untangled.

"So, who's gonna tell Phil that I'm not leaving?" Ranboo didn't get up, instead propping his arms and chin on the couch where he should've been sitting.

"If I do it, he'll say 'I told you so'."

"Why didn't you just ask me when you decided you wanted me to stay? Instead of letting your family travel the lands looking for a place for me to go?"

Techno groaned, "I wanted you to have the choice of leaving!"

"I wouldn't of chosen it. As long as you want me here, I want to stay."

"Well, I want you here forever."

"Forever?"

"Forever." The pink haired man stated decisively.

"That's a long time."

"Well, families stay together for a long time."

"You're not with your family." Ranboo pointed out quietly.

Techno thought about this, "Maybe not physically, but we're never really apart. Plus, I'm with you. And as we've discussed, you're family now."

"Ah, okay." Ranboo nodded as if this made sense. After a pause, they looked up hopefully, "Can I get some help? I cant get up."

Technoblade laughed, but he grabbed their hands and carefully pulled them up to a standing position. The blanket fell off of them once they were completely upright, freeing them from the fabric.

"We should bake, in celebration." Ranboo stood there for a moment, looking towards the kitchen.

"I think you just want to bake." Technoblade didn't move to stand up, instead leaning back further into the cushions behind him.

"Oh, yeah, definitely. But now I have an excuse." The teenager confirmed, "Let's go. We'll make lavender honey bread!"

Techno sighed as if he was tired and annoyed and definitely didn't wanna bake, but he clearly wanted nothing more or less than to see his kid do something they liked. So, that's what they did.

Later that night, Technoblade would call his father to let him know that he was right and that there was no need to save Ranboo a spot in that village. Then, there was years and years of literally raising a child to come, but none of that mattered through that night.

Technoblade was good at what he did, and he'd figure it out along the way. That's what Phil did, and all three of his kids were turning out great.

The piglin had been so obsessed with the idea of Ranboo getting a normal life, with the idea of him getting a family. But like it was nothing, they became part of his. It was just the two of them in their cottage, but even on their own-

They were something like family.

They weren't formed by blood nor specie nor anything official, but rather their adoration and care for one another. Just like Techno and his brothers and their dad, they were made of something special and specific.

Their banter, the routines, the simple and clever life they shared. It was all the little things that tied them together, in less than a year. Crystal daggers and dresses and baking recipes and shiny things and pretty braids.

They were made up of memories, ones of a simple cottage life in the woods. To Technoblade, family could also be a childhood of travelling and moving and adventuring, so the building blocks of familial love weren't limited or sure.

What makes a family isn't defined, but the pair was something along those lines.

That was something Techno was sure of.