Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Technoblade doesn't understand why people don't seem to like him.

When he was born, none of his siblings really were nice to him. They made fun of him for being too small, and too slow. It took him forever to learn how to walk. His leg was bent all weird, and even after a doctor came by the warren and straightened it, he couldn't move without a limp for a very long time. He's still faster than most not-rabbits. He can jump a lot further too. But that never stopped them from teasing him, poking at his side, joking that he couldn't keep up, leaving him behind when they went to play in the woods.

His parents never said anything about the bullying. They were too busy caring for their next litter.

When Techno was six years old, he ran away for the first time.

He got lost in the forest for hours, cried when it got dark, then finally stumbled home almost more by accident than anything. His family hadn't noticed he was gone. None of the warren did. It was so big, and Techno was nothing special to them. That's when he decided he didn't need them anymore.

So he ran away again when he was a little older and could take care of himself.

Or he thought he could. It wasn't as easy as he hoped. Sleeping outside was fun at first, adventurous. The sun warmed his skin and even at nightfall, it never truly got cold. The stars were pretty where they dangled far above him. He could eat from whatever he found in the wild, fresh strawberries and raspberries that grew on shrubs which also made a perfect place to sleep.

Then autumn crept in.

"Move it, kid."

Somebody bumps into him, their body a firm wall pushing him hard enough that he almost falls onto the cobblestone. They're gone before Techno can blink, scrunching up his nose at their rudeness. He pulls his cloak better over his shoulders, using the hood to cover his head, the scratchy fabric making his ears twitch.

Hunger has driven Techno into a town. He's been there for a couple of weeks now, mostly begging on the streets or stealing from market stalls when he can get away with it. But people are jerks! They ignore him half the time, or chase him away the other half. They scowl at him when they see him. Once, a woman laughed when Techno came up to her and asked if she had any leftover food to spare.

"God, rabbit hybrids really don't know how to look after their little ones, do they?" She rolled her eyes, shooing him away with her hand. "Go find your mom or something, brat."

Techno has heard that a lot. That being a bunny is what makes people act odd towards him. People whisper, saying that there must be something wrong with him if he was thrown out of his warren, or that maybe his parents had too many kids and that's why they let them 'run rampant'. Very unfair, considering Techno isn't doing anything bad. He's just trying to survive. But for the time being, he's using the cloak to hide his ears and tail.

He finds his usual spot, tucked away into a little alcove of an abandoned building at the town square. Techno sits and watches the people pass by. A few slow down to glance at him. When they do, he holds out his palm and hopes they give him something. Rarely, they will. A lot more often, they just keep walking or scoff and turn away. Techno supposes it's like that outside the warren. People don't take care of each other. They only worry about themselves. Sure, Techno didn't feel very taken care of in the warren either - which is why he decided he'd just look after himself - but that's because he's slow and a burden there. He doesn't know why he expected other people to be less selfish.

Maybe he should have known better.

"Oh, are you all alone?"

Techno blinks up at the man towering over him. He's not very tall, yet his silhouette blots out part of the sun. Maybe because he has a pair of large black wings. An avian? No, the wings are too big for that. Avians are fluffy, and pretty common. Techno has seen many around. This man has long bond hair, sharp features, and bright blue eyes. He looks strange.

But when he smiles, it's only with kindness. And Techno tilts his head, curious.

"You must be very hungry. Here you go, mate." The man reaches into a leather bag hanging at his hip. He pulls out a piece of bread first. Techno takes it in both hands, though he frowns down at it too. He knows he shouldn't be picky. Bread doesn't taste very good, is all. Despite his best efforts, the man notices. "No good?"

Techno looks up again. "Do you have any carrots?"

"Carrots?" the man asks.

Techno's eyes widen. He can't let the man know he's a bunny hybrid. That's usually where the interaction starts to go downhill. He swallows, shrugs. "Ribbit?"

Confusion passes over the man's face, and Techno nervously fidgets with the bread, picking at it with his dirty nails. Then the man starts to laugh. He does it for a solid four or five seconds, before once more reaching into his bag and pulling out a carrot. "Here, then. Is that better?"

Techno can't answer because he's too busy already taking a bite. He nods instead.

The man smiles again, before straightening his hat. "Okay, look out for yourself, yeah?"

Then he blends into the crowd. Techno tries to follow him with his eyes, the wings making it somewhat easier. The man folds them against his back, easily maneuvering between the throngs of people both human and hybrid alike. Eventually, he turns the corner at the end of the street and he's gone.

Techno chews the bread slowly - not nearly as nice as the carrot but definitely better than going to sleep on an empty stomach. He wonders if he'll see the man again.

Some part of him hopes he will.

"You're still here."

The man is back as early as the next day.

"Do you want another carrot?"

Techno nods. The man gets two from his bag this time and hands them over. Techno bites down on one instantly, then keeps the other close to his chest. He's hungry, and it's tempting to make short work of the other one too. But it's smarter to hang onto it.

Once again, with a short wave and a nod, the winged man is on his way.

It keeps happening after that. The man never stays long, never asks him anything. He stops when he passes by, hands Techno some food (usually a carrot, sometimes bread or apples or cheese. One notable time a piece of candy that Techno didn't dare to eat yet because he feels like he has to cherish it for a special occasion), then moves on. Techno knows the town he's at is at the crossing of several trade routes. The place is crawling with travelers, which is part of why he picked it out to stay at. Nobody bothers him, most people are too busy with their own stuff to pay mind to a single child running around without adult supervision. And there are always new people who might take pity on him. Techno's plan is to bear it until spring. Until he can sleep outside again and scavenge his own meals.

But the man comes by, and he smiles, and he doesn't mind that Techno is so quiet. Techno likes him. He knows he shouldn't.

Techno almost gets used to it. He finds himself waking up earlier, so he can set off for the town square by the earliest rays of dawn. He looks forward to the man's visits, and he's scared of somehow missing their paths crossing. He doesn't really beg from others anymore.

Until one day, the man doesn't stop when passing him by.

He hurries past the alcove, toward the town gate. He has more bags today, a whole rucksack stuffed with things. He's wearing a new coat, longer and thicker. Maybe made of wool? He's also wearing a scarf.

He's leaving.

Techno knew he would leave eventually. People don't stay in this town long. But it still hurts a little.

Slowly, Techno finds himself getting up.

He doesn't know why. It's stupid, dumb. The man has other things to tend to, like every person Techno met before him. He is one of the good ones, the nicer ones. But that doesn't mean Techno can just cling to him forever. It's his fault for being selfish and getting used to it in the first place.

Then why does he trail behind the man and walk out of the town?

He only gets so far as the first farm beyond the gate. There are way fewer people here so Techno isn't very surprised when the man, stepping easily while humming a tune to himself, glances over his shoulder and notices him. His eyebrows shoot up, and he whirls around in surprise.

"Oh- uh, hey, I didn't see you there, mate." He chuckles, though this one sounds more like a nervous tic than a genuine laugh. "Are you following me?"

Techno swallows, nervously suddenly. he reaches up to make sure his cloak still covers everything. "No," he lies. Since it sounds incredibly unconvincing to his own ears, he's certain the man won't buy it either.

Sure enough, the man's expression softens a bit. He walks toward Techno, already reaching for his bag. "Sorry for forgetting about you today. I was in a bit of a hurry." He pulls out another carrot. Techno hesitates to take it this time.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"Home." The man smiles, soft and fondly. As if that very word holds the warmth that it implies for some people - not Techno, but some others - and he can feel it in his chest. "Don't wander too far from the town," the man adds. He taps Techno's shoulder, subtly trying to turn him around. "It's dangerous on the road."

"You're going on the road," Techno accuses. The man frowns.

"Dangerous for children," he says. "I know what I'm doing, mate, I travel all the time."

"So do I," Techno insists. He doesn't know if what he's done counts as traveling exactly. But he certainly doesn't need to be told anything about danger.

The man only stares at him for a moment. He probably thinks Techno is lying again.

"What's your name?" he asks after a few seconds of Techno stubbornly maintaining eye contact.

"Techno."

"Well, Techno, I'm sure that when you're all grown up you'll get to see a lot more of the world. But for now, you really should go home, okay?"

Techno doesn't answer. Frustration would just make his tongue clumsy and besides, even if he could manage to speak he doesn't know if he can put his thoughts into words. He can't explain why he felt this man was different.

With a sigh, the man gives him a second carrot, taps his shoulder again - this time with a little more force. Not enough to hurt but enough to bodily turn Techno back toward the city gates - and then steps away. Techno hears his boots crunch over the gravel path, slowly fading into the distance. Techno waits until the sound is almost completely gone.

And then he turns around again.

Because one thing that man should know about rabbit hybrids is that their sense of smell is impeccable. It would have been hard within the town itself, since there were too many scents for Techno to pick one out, but out here he'll have no trouble following the man as long as he doesn't allow the distance to grow too big.

The second thing is that Techno is incredibly obstinate when he wants to be.

he stuffs the carrots into his pocket and runs down the gravel road, away from the town he's spent the last few weeks in, and towards that nebulous place called 'home'.

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