Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"You know I'm not real, right?"

In his own personal opinion, Techno thinks he's rather smart for a six-year-old. He can read plenty fine, can make his own toys from the reeds on the river bank and the many, many supplies his father keeps in the chests at home, and he has known since their first meeting that the person sitting next to him is all in his head.

"I knew that from the moment Wilbur joined our play circle and ignored you, because he's not a mean person and would never be rude if he didn't have a reason," Techno says. He looks at the deep water rushing along below them; the cliff was a fun choice for their sitting area this afternoon. "So yes, I know."

"You are very smart, Blade." The person smiles warmly, petting Techno's hair for a moment. "I'm very proud of you."

"How can you be proud of me? You haven't even known me for very long." Techno leans back on his elbows, then sits back up and folds his legs under him. A splash of water from below lands on his cheek and he wipes it off with his sleeve. "I don't even know your name. You must have a name, everyone does."

"Call me... call me E," the person says. They are beautiful, truly, in that godly sense that Techno looks up to. They're taller than he is, black hair tied up into a loose bun and pale eyes always watching him. "I'm in the image of a child, Blade, for your comfort. I will grow with you, become older the same as you. I am a manifestation, something your mind has brought you."

"I like that you're here, E. It gives me someone to talk to all the time." Techno grabs a stick from the ground and twirls it over his fingers. "And I like that you're a kid. You could have been someone scary like my dad. He was mean. That's why I have Phil now."

"Men are horrific," E says. Techno wonders how he can make something so wise with just his mind. It terrifies him a little, the thought of understanding things far beyond his years. "And you can't tell anyone of me. Not even Phil. Do you understand, Blade?"

"You just have to get to know Phil, E. He's way better than all the other men I've met. Even Wilbur, but Wilbur's my brother, so that's not much of a surprise." Techno finally drops onto his back, looking up at the blue of the sky. It's clear today, the sun shining brightly down on the two of them. E doesn't have a shadow, though.

"If you say so. My friends will like to talk to you soon."

"Your friends?"

As if on queue, a voice begins in Techno's head. And another. And another. And another. They speak in sentences, shrieks, cries. It's scary, Techno is afraid of his own mind, and he can do nothing about it. He'll live with these voices forever, he can sense it.

"Why am I like this?" Techno asks. It's too loud in his mind already and the voices have only been there for a moment.

"It's a curse. A magical curse, actually. It was put on your mother by your father. He was spiteful and angry. She had the same ailment, though she succumbed to the volume long before she could speak to you about it. There were more things to her issues, though, and I know you'll be able to survive this for years. You are strong, Blade, know that about yourself."

"I do know that. Phil always tells me so, same as Mumza, same as Skeppy and Bad and even Wilbur. Everyone tells me I am strong."

"And you will believe it. You will understand so many things in the coming years." E puts a hand atop Techno's head, petting through his hair with their fingers. "Oh, Blade, I hope you won't hate me. You're stuck with me until you find love."

"Love?"

"That's the curse. You will only lose me once you fall in love. It was so horrible for your mother." E sighs. "Now, please get away from the cliff's edge. I'd like to help you not die for a long while."

Techno obliges. He trusts E.

***

"Phil?" Techno calls through the house. He's getting scared now: the Voices won't stop screaming and E won't come by to shut them up. It's to the point where he's finally going to tell Phil about it, which sounds like what a punishment might be, but Techno just needs some relaxation for a moment. He hasn't slept in two days because of the voices.

"Techno? Are you okay, kiddo?" Phil carefully opens Techno's bedroom door and Techno only realizes the state he and the room are in when Phil is fully inside. Clothes are scattered everywhere, the plate from last night is still in broken shards on the floor, and Techno is curled into the far corner, head buried in his knees and hair pulled into a messy bun atop his head. "Oh, Tech, what happened?"

"Voices, Phil," Techno chokes out, close to tears. "They- they won't stop, please just make them stop."

"Oh, Techno," Phil says, sitting down next to him. Techno hasn't hugged Phil in a while since he's older, grown up, but he collapses into Phil's chest and sobs into his robe. The silk fabric is soft and gets wet much too quickly, though Techno can't find it in himself to understand why. "Hey, mate, come on, you're okay, it's gonna be okay."

"Phil, please," Techno cries, and Phil just holds onto him.

When Techno can breathe again, when his hands aren't shaking so bad and when the tears have dried up from his face, Phil begins speaking quietly. Techno's head lays in Phil's lap and Phil's hands run through his hair slowly, brushing apart the knots that have been there for far too long. The Voices seem to have finally calmed down, though it's just a deep rumble in the back of Techno's mind now.

"I had it too," Phil says. He has a gift for making his voice smooth out. "I had the Voices. I still do, sometimes. They calm down as you get older, I swear that. Gods, I didn't have them this young, though, I was maybe three years older than you are, 16 maybe, and it was just.. it was birds, actually. And it was awful, these horrible cawing noises that never stopped. I learned to live with them, though, and now they're good company."

"You sound a little crazy, Phil," Techno comments.

"I know I do. I know that, but it's... this is something we have to deal with, kiddo. Everyone's got stuff, and sure, it's a bit harder for us, but you'll survive. You've gotten through thirteen years of life with these voices and this is the worst they've gotten? You're so strong, Techno."

"I haven't slept in two days," Techno admits.

"And Kristin has a potion for that. I wish she could get those voices out of your head, but she can give you treatment, make them be quiet for a while. Gods, Techno, I wish I could help you better."

With the admission, E appears to Techno's right, watching the two of them. Their eyes are large and expectant, lacking the usual remorse as they usually did when showing up late to the cacophony. E says nothing, just watches from across the room, smiling their Cheshire Cat grin.

"One of the Voices manifests," Techno says.

"What?"

"One of the Voices takes physical form. I mean... I can see it. Them. Their name is E. They're right there, actually." Techno points across the room. Phil's eyes follow the track of his finger but Techno knows he sees nothing. "They speak to me all the time. It's- it's comforting at this point."

"Can you describe E for me, Techno?" Phil's voice is so, so gentle.

"Tall. Taller than me, shorter than you. They have... black hair with white streaks in it, cut long and fluffy. Blue eyes. Brown skin. Big white teeth. They scare me sometimes because they're so... not human. At all. But they talk to me and they- they help me remember things. All the Voices do. The Voices say things I shouldn't know, say things that I had no way of learning. Oh, Phil, they won't be quiet."

"Techno," Phil just says, eyes sympathetic. The two of them sit in silence for a long moment and Techno finally, finally, begins to drift off to sleep.

Except E won't let that happen.

"Get up, Blades!" E calls, and Techno jolts, barely missing Phil's chin in the process. "No rest for the wicked, you know how it goes!" E is joyful and has the glare of a demon. "Silly boy, thinking he can sleep!"

"Bastard," Techno hisses, nearly reaching for a book to toss at the apparition, but he remembers just in time that it won't do anything since E lacks a corporeal form.

"What did they do?" Phil asks quietly.

"Woke me up. I want the- the potion, from Mumza. Please, Phil, I just want it to be quiet again."

"We can do that, kiddo." Phil slowly pulls both of them up to a standing position and looks down at his oldest son for a long moment. "You're so strong, Techno. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Phil." Techno leans into Phil's chest again. "Thank you."

"It's what I'm here for. Now, we'll get the potion from Mumza, then we've got dinner with Puffy and her two kids this evening. That sound good?"

"Who's Puffy?"

"You'll see in a few hours."

***

Over the screams of Tommy and Tubbo in the background, they make their introductions to each other, shaking hands and smiling respectfully.

"I'm Techno."

"I'm Dream!"

E's form flickers and the Voices quiet down for a moment.

Interesting.

Chapter Text

Oh, how Techno has missed the ache in his shoulders from holding a sword for so long while jumping fences and dodging arrows.

The Championship this month has been up and down, with Techno being awful at some games and the leader in others. Parkour, though not his strong suit, had been finished in nearly record time, but Sands of Time had dropped him and his team down two spots on the leaderboards. Now, in Ace Race, the creators have upped the ante, and Techno feels amazing.

"You're in first, bean," E murmurs, right into Techno's ear.

"Fuck off, E, I'm trying to focus."

The Voices chant "First, first, first, first, bad, first, first," over and over and Techno prays that the Championship will be over quickly, that he'll be able to go home and down a potion so he can sleep off the excitement of everyone. It's quite motivating, actually, the idea of silence.

"Come now," E says. "Come now, bean, you're going to win again. I'm so proud of you, you're doing so well."

"Fuck off," Techno repeats, nearly missing one of the fence jumps. He stumbles but keeps the lead; Fruit isn't far off behind him and if Techno misses a vault or overthrows his trident, he'll lose this one for sure.

"No! If not for the other hundred thousand Voices, I would make you crash down right here, drop on your ass right here, then make you tell Dream that you never. Want. To see him. Again."

"You do realize he's not a threat to you, right? The love has to be requited for you to leave, and believe me, we're far from that." Techno swallows down the ache that always comes with thoughts of Dream, trying hard to ignore the Voices chanting "Dream! Dream! Dream! Dream!".

"Oh, bean, if only you knew," E croons, and suddenly Techno is stumbling and crashing down to the ground. His face hits the dirt, nose breaking in the process, and Techno cries out in pain, stumbling back off, blood dripping down his face in droves.

'TECHNO PAIN'

'TECHNO PAIN'

And Techno still crosses the finish line first, looking worse-for-wear with tears streaming down his cheeks and a dirt-streaked uniform. He can barely breathe from the pain and exhaustion, winded by the white-hot flashes running through his head.

"Techno!" He hears Wilbur call, and there's Wilbur with a bottle of water to dump on his face and wash away some of the blood. Techno can't see from the pain and he feels like he's dying.

"Thank you," Techno coughs out, putting both hands up to his nose and cracking it back into place with a skilled squeeze. "Fucking- fuck!"

'TECHNO SWEAR, TECHNO SWEAR, TECHNO SWEAR'

"Will you all just be quiet!" Techno practically yells, and, from an outside perspective, he's talking to no one in particular, which means he probably looks a little crazy. The crowd of people around him, paramedics with healing potions and salve and a fresh uniform, all do quiet down, but the roar of voices in his head only quiets a bit.

"Mr. Techno, sir," one of the Creators is there, looking particularly off-put by the commotion going on around them, "how did you injure yourself? Ace Race has anti-injury measures put in-"

"Just give me a healing potion," Techno growls, and the Creator backs away, visibly surprised by the aggression. In a normal interaction, Techno would apologize, but the burning in his chest from the blood loss is getting to him and he couldn't care less.

A potion is dumped into his hands and another is thrown over his face in a similar way the water was. It burns for a long while, making Techno cry out again, and it's not a scream, it's a bellow, something deep in his chest. It's nearly animalistic, ugly and loud and untethered, and Techno doesn't even care about what people might think of it.

"Holy shit, Techno, what happened?" There's Sapnap to the left, concerned and cautious after the sound Techno let out, and there's Dream in front of him, cupping Techno's elbow in that casual touch that makes Techno want to sob.

"I fell down," Techno says, bending over to try and lessen the pressure in his sinuses. It does little, only making drops of blood fall onto the dust at his feet. "Fucking- E made me fall over, distracted me and was- aaAAAUGH!" A wave of pressure rushes through his head and he nearly falls to the ground if not for Dream holding him up.

"Hey, hey, let's get you to the Med Tent," Dream says, and Techno nods.

The Med Tent is not actually a tent, but rather a small building to the left of the Championship arena, standing short and proud in the waning sun. Some paramedics try to follow after them but Dream shoos them away and Techno is grateful for it.

"Come sit down," Dream says, motioning toward a bed in the Med Tent, and Techno does, all but collapsing onto the mattress. The blood seems to have stopped but his shirt is drenched and there are still tears on his cheeks. "What happened?"

"The Voices," Techno says simply, then adds, "E did somethin', made me fall over and hit my face on the ground."

"That's... strange, honestly. Nothing should be able to get past the mechanisms and protocols for the race-"

"You ever think that someone could've just messed up their coding?" Fed up with his soiled shirt, Techno strips it off, careful to not hit his nose in the process, and too late remembers Dream is still in the room. "Sorry, I was just-"

"No, no, it's fine, I'll get you a new one," Dream replies shakily, and Techno frowns.

"Are you okay? I know that- that sound I made earlier was pretty... I dunno, terrifying, so if you need to listen to your instincts a bit and get away for a minute, then that's fine-"

"No!" Dream nearly shouts, taking them both by surprise. "No, it's not that, I just- I'll go find you a new uniform. That one is kind of a mess."

With Dream gone in search of fresh clothes, E is back, sitting cross-legged on their ground with a devious grin on their face. "Cute that you think you still have a chance with him," they tease.

"Salt and pepper bitch," Techno shoots back, ghosting his fingers along the edge of his nose. There's a bump now, even with him resetting it, but the pain is slowly, slowly subsiding. "I'm an hour away from getting rid of you."

"Cute that you think you'll get rid of me or any of the other Voices," E says. They fluff up their hair in a way that would be cute if Techno liked them in the least, but as the black and white streaks ruffle, he hates the action. "Cute that you think he's the solution. Cute that you're too stupid to understand anything about love."

"Please, please go away," Techno pleads, but E just watches and laughs.

Dream's back and Techno has his fingers in his ears and his head dropped down, trying hard to make the sound stop, but it doesn't, it just echoes through his head and leaves him nearly crying.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Dream sits down next to him and Techno leans into him, wrapping his arms around Dream and holding him tightly.

The laughing stops. E stops making noise, horrible noise, and Techno can breathe again. Every voice is muted, that dull roar that happens so often, but it's bearable once again.

"I know someone who specializes in curses," Dream murmurs, rubbing Techno's back. "This seems to be getting worse and I can't have you- it's scary to see you hurt, Tech. You're always so strong and then you break your nose and it doesn't heal right away and it- this is tearing you up inside and no one deserves that."

"Why are you taking care of me?" Techno asks, right into the cloth at Dream's shoulder. It's nearly against his skin; if Techno sat up more, his mouth would be pressed against Dream's throat, but he can't, he won't.

"Because I care about you, dumbass," Dream says, squeezing him tighter still, and oh, does the quiet feel nice. It's not too quiet, that roar still everpresent, but it's less. Dream always does make it less. "Come on, we're getting you to the curse specialist. I'm worried, I don't want to see you in pain anymore."

"Okay. Okay, we can do that-" Techno's phone buzzes in his pocket and he leans back to pull it out of his pocket: it's only important messages that get vibrations. He sees the last message he wants to, honestly. "They've canceled the Championship because of my injury."

"What?" Dream pulls out his own phone.

The article, written by one of the media representatives for the Championships, details how one of their "top contenders" was "injured due to troubles with a game" and due to "intense backlash at the loss of said top contender", the Championship will "come back next month".

"I hate it here," Techno says, refraining from throwing his phone across the room. "Gods, that's- it's not enough to cancel something just because I broke my nose. Ugh, I've-" He's blushing from embarrassment. "I just canceled a whole tournament."

"No you didn't, E did," Dream tries, rubbing Techno's back, but it just made Techno groan.

"I need to get them out of here."

"And we will. We're gonna go to the curse specialist, we'll figure out the cure, we'll help you."

"I already know the cure," Techno says quietly.

"You do?"

"Mhm."

Techno doesn't say anything more, just messes with Dream's free hand for a moment, looking at the scars on each of his knuckles, before Dream gets impatient. "Are you going to tell me the cure?"

"Requited love." It gets caught in his throat for a moment. Because the closest thing to a cure is sitting next to him and doesn't know it. "It's- I think it's pretty hopeless, honestly, because they... they don't love me back. So it's gonna be like this for a while."

"How do you know they don't love you?"

Techno chuckles a bit. How does he know? How does he know that Dream doesn't love him back? "It's not very hard. I mean... they have better things to do than love me."

"Well, then, they don't know what they're missing," Dream says, and Techno can almost detect a hint of sadness in Dream's voice. Techno has no idea where it comes from. "Now come on, change into the fresh uniform and we'll get going. The cursist isn't far."

"Cursist? That's the worst job title I've ever heard." Techno carefully pulls on the shirt, a dark green piece rather than his normal blood-red color of uniform, but it works. "Wait, is this yours?"

"My extra one, yeah. I don't have access to your team's room, so I just... took the closest one I could get." Dream blushes, running a hand through his hair. "You look good in green, Techno."

"Thanks." Techno smiles, standing up finally. The throbbing in his nose has slowed to a steady beating, coursing with his heart, and he doesn't feel like passing out anymore. The Voices are back, murmuring praises for Dream and out-of-context jokes. He misses the quiet. "We should eat something before we head out."

They find themselves at one of the burger shops set up near the arena, getting enormous sandwiches and stacks of fries and enough "health water" to hydrate them till tomorrow. Dream finds them a seat in the middle of the cafe area, a little red four-person picnic table.

"Dream, we lost you there for a- oh damn, Techno, you're still covered in blood!" Sapnap and George run up and Techno feels a little alarmed that he's suddenly fourth-wheeling. "How's your nose? Gods, I haven't gotten injured outside of a game for months besides bruises, can't imagine what it's like to have your bone snapped."

"It's not a bone, it's the cartilage in his nose, idiot," George corrects, and Techno nods.

"It hurts. And it's embarrassing that I got the whole tournament canceled." Techno takes a bite of the burger and juice drips down his chin. Sapnap sits down to his right and hands him a napkin.

"That whole game was going awful for me, though, so I'm far from complaining." Sapnap grins maniacally and Techno swears he can see a spark of fire ignite over the man's knuckles. "Can I touch your nose? I've never felt a broken one before. It looks super badass."

"No," someone says before Techno can say "Sure," and he and Sapnap both turn to see Dream glaring at them. "No, it needs to heal," Dream continues.

"Damn, Dream, didn't mean to make you upset. I'm just trying to pay some respect to the best playing in the Championship, that's all." Sapnap winks at Techno, who promptly blushes. The Voices cheer for the action, some sending flirts towards Sapnap, some defending Dream's honor as Techno's One and Only.

"We're leaving," Dream says, standing up and grabbing Techno's arm. Thankfully, their food is gone (Techno's learned to eat fast after so many years of competing in tournaments), but Techno certainly wasn't done being complimented.

He voices as such.

"We have to get going," Dream says, and that's all Techno gets. He smiles apologetically at George and Sapnap, who look just as confused as Techno feels, but Techno lets himself be dragged off and out of the area without too much of a fight.

"That was unnecessary," Techno says once they're on the path in the implied direction of the cursist.

"We need to get there before sunset."

Dream says nothing else.

E walks with them, throwing taunts at both men throughout their journey.

Techno's nose slowly stops hurting.

Today has been a strange day.

Chapter Text

"He just pulled you away because he doesn't want you to be happy," E teases. They're floating alongside Techno as he stalks along, trailing just behind Dream. "Come on, bean, you flirt a little bit with someone and suddenly Dream is dragging you away? That's not jealousy, that's just mean."

Techno does try to flick away the idea that Dream was jealous of Sapnap's flirting, knowing that it's likely not the real answer. In reality, they had to get moving and get to the cursist before sundown. Even now, the sun is trying hard to sneak behind the horizon, and it's good they left when they did. Techno doesn't feel like being teased while fighting mobs, especially when he's still not at his best after the nose break.

"Dream?" Techno asks, walking a little faster to keep up with the man's strides. Though Techno is sturdy and strong, Dream is nimble and quick, able to duck around trees and invade enemies' weapons with ease. Techno is a bear; Dream is a fox.

"Yes?" Dream's word is clipped, sharp, like he's still upset.

"Where is this cursist located? The sun's goin' down and I don't particularly want to be left out here in the dark."

"We're almost there." Again, it's sharp and short.

DAGGER WORDS

"Thank you, Chat," Techno grumbles, and thankfully, Dream pays no attention to the prompting.

"How is Chat?" Dream asks, though, and Techno looks up, surprised.

"You've never asked about them before."

"I know. Just thought that if we were getting rid of them, then I should probably understand something about them. For the journals, you know."

"I thought only Karl kept journals."

"I write down pretty much everything I think and feel, Tech," Dream says, and his smile appears again. The mask is off, hanging on the hook at his hip, and Techno does love seeing Dream's face, even the scars from manhunts-gone-wrong and the freckles dotted over his nose. "How is Chat?"

"Chat's..." Techno trails off, listening to the slurry of 'Hi Dream! Hi Dream! Hi Dream' bouncing around his skull. "Chat is excited that you're directly acknowledging them. They've been chill for a while, but whenever they talk to you, they get ravenous."

"Ravenous?" Dream lets out a half laugh. "For me? I don't think I'm anything special."

"They think you are."

DREAM

DREAM NOTICE ME

DREAM POG

"Yeah? Well, hello, Chat, thank you for enjoying my company."

Besides the occasional lewd comment, Chat is overjoyed to be spoken to, so much so that it's beginning to give Techno a headache. "They get loud sometimes, thanks for that."

"Sorry- oh, we're here." Dream stops suddenly and Techno realizes there's a ladder to the left of them, leading up the trunk of a remarkably tall jungle tree. "I have to- we don't technically have an appointment, so we'll hopefully be able to talk to the- I don't know if we can get in."

"Are you pulling my leg, here? Because we just walked for two hours on minimal food, and I should probably be getting rest after the injury-"

"It's fine. Come on, we'll get in."

They climb the ladder and end up on a balcony overlooking the surrounding forest. In the distance, Techno sees the Championships arena and the biome for his own home and the direction he knows Dream's (alleged) mansion sits atop a mountain.

Dream knocks on the door behind them. Somewhere inside the treehouse (treebuilding?), there are scrambling sounds and thumping footsteps approaching quickly. Techno's hand twitches over his sword, though he knows that Dream trusts these people so he can as well.

Skeppy opens the door, eyes wide and cheeks flushed and lacking his iconic blue headbox, and Techno makes his decision. "Nope," he says, turning to climb back down the ladder.

"Techno?" Skeppy asks, raising his eyebrow, and Dream grabs Techno by the collar of his shirt, brushing the skin of his back in the process, and Techno flushes bright red against his own permission. Techno notices that Skeppy's lips are swollen and covered in spit and shudders at the thought of any kind of physical interaction with the man in front of him.

"Skeppy's not the cursist, Techno, don't worry," Dream says quietly.

"What do you mean, 'don't worry'?" Skeppy protests, but it's quickly swept away when BadBoyHalo appears behind the diamond man, looking equally as flustered as his partner but much calmer nonetheless.

"Hey, Techno, you look worse for ware," Bad says sympathetically, and Techno realizes that a) Bad is the cursist, b) these two were just doing some un-family-friendly things (Chat is screaming "YUCK YUCK YUCK YUCK"), and c) he's probably in good hands. "Can I get a hand on you? Better for curse diagnostics."

"Sure? How do you know I-?"

"Dream's talked about your Voices before, don't worry." Bad places a gentle hand on Techno's arm, then immediately pulls it back like he's been burned. "Yikes! That's a lot of souls you've got in your head, Techno, that can't be fun at all."

"Souls?"

"Yeah! You've probably got a couple thousand lost souls floating around in your head. Come on in, I'll explain what's going on up there in your noggin." Bad smiles and motions towards the door with his head. Skeppy goes in first, then Techno, then Dream who has a protective hand on the small of Techno's back, and Bad taking up the rear.

Bad and Skeppy's treehouse is cozy and warm, full of rugs and pillows and colorful paintings. Techno sees an attached aviary with a blue and a red parrot in it, two cats asleep on a cat tree, and the door to a bedroom with a remarkably messy bed, which Techno promptly attempts to ignore. Dream's hand stays on him the entire time, right at the small of his back, and Techno tries to ignore that as well.

Without any warning, Bad starts speaking in a method of clicks and whistles to Skeppy, one that Dream seems to partially understand but that is completely foreign to Techno's ears. A few Voices try to understand it but Bad speaks too fast for anything coherent to come out of it.

"Dream, Skeppy has things for you to do while I talk to Techno," Bad says.

"No, I'm going to be there with him-" Dream's hand momentarily tightens, gripping tight to Techno's waist before Techno takes it away gently.

"It's okay, I'll tell you about it later," Techno reassures him, and with that, Skeppy is pulling Dream into another part of the house while Bad and Techno are sitting down in the cramped living room.

"I expect you already know about the cure, correct?" Bad hands Techno a glass of water that seems to have appeared out of thin air.

"I do. Requited love, yada yada."

"The love has to be declared, actually. 'And if the love is spoken, away the souls might fly, but if the love is broken, then the lover surely dies'. You've got a textbook Souls curse, actually, one made by medium-level casters with no particular love for living beings." Bad sits down on the couch across from Techno, watching him. "Why haven't you spoken it? The Voices will be right out of your head."

"As if I have requited love around me. And yes, I know it's romantic love, because Phil and Mum have proclaimed their devotion to me as if I was their son many times and that's done nothing."

Bad lets out a 'hrm' sound and eyes Techno up and down. "Despite my not being able to help you, it's likely that the Voices could be expelled soon, though there's the particular side effect of the death of the Carrier as there is with any other curse."

"You mean there's the potential of me dying when I get rid of this?" Techno exclaims, much to the horror of Chat. Sure, they're a menace, but their devotion to Techno is strong and aggressive and he knows they won't go down without a fight. "Shit, Bad, why didn't you tell me that first?"

"Language. The fact that you know so little about your curse is rather awful, Technoblade. Do you know how you got it?"

"My father. Birth father. He put it on my mother who passed it to me. I got E when I was about four, then the other Voices started showing up not long after-"

"What is E?"

"The main voice, I suppose. They have a physical form, actually, this black-and-white-haired person that's about the same age I am and a total asshole. They calm the Voices but try to- why have you gone all pale?" Techno stops, realizing that Bad is a cool color of gray rather than his normal slate.

"You- there's a good chance you're going to die, Techno, if you let the Voices out. E is proof that they're part of you, so deeply that they might not be removed without severe detriment to your health. A physical manifestation means that your mind is deeply intertwined with the curse, so much so that your subconscious believes that it's part of you. Other cursed people have gone mad without the souls, ironically enough, and you could completely lose yourself to the sudden and rather deafening silence that comes with the lifting of the curse."

"You've got to be kiddin' me." Techno drops his head into his hands, cacophonies of apologies flooding his mind. It's dizzying to listen to, nearly enough to make him lay down, and for the second time today, Techno has the strong desire for the potions again.

"I'm so sorry, Techno, I really am. If I could assist in any way, I would, but all I can do is to warn you to be careful. Requited love, however sweet it may be, can be dangerous, especially in your case. Gods above, I hate being the bearer of bad news, but that's what my job is: telling curse victims about their curses."

"And fucking Skeppy." There's E, perched atop one of the arms of the couch, holding what looks like a cigarette between their fingers. "Come on, baby, you saw their mouths, you saw their bed, you wish it was you and Dream on pretty sheets, living this sweet life together and fucking whenever you please."

"Language," Bad says, and Techno looks up.

"You can hear them?"

"Yeah. Distantly. It's one of those... powers that come from being a cursist. E is... lewd. I don't have all the Voices, just E, but-"

"But you heard all of that."

"I did. I didn't want to, but I did. Do they always harass you like that?"

"Yes."

"I understand why you want to get them out of there, but you have to understand that if you confess anything to D-"

"Techno?" Dream's voice cuts in and a moment later the man is standing above Techno, looking down at him with an expectant look on his face. "What's happening?"

"The cure is love and the diagnosis is shit." Techno, despite his better judgment, leans his head against Dream's hip, sighing and closing his eyes. "I'm going to die if I admit my love to someone."

"Oh. Does it have to be spoken or will it be enough for the feelings to line up with each other?"

"Spoken." Bad looks apologetic. Some of Chat is crying about the news, some are singing "RELEASE POG". "If the love is spoken, the curse is lifted and Techno has a high potential for death or insanity from the lack of a curse. It's the only thing he's ever known and it may kill him to not have it."

"Fuck." Dream's hand lands in Techno's hair, holding him close.

"Language. It's not a 100% thing, but it's-"

"What's the percentage?" Dream demands.

"85% probably, though it depends on the victim."

They leave not long after that, deciding to move to the guest house on the forest floor to spend the night. Both Dream and Techno are relatively silent, sticking close to each other and always touching in some way. Techno chalks it up to Dream wanting to keep his friend close and comforted in trying times.

As Techno readies himself for bed, stripping his cape off and reaching above his arms above his head to stretch out his shoulders, he hears a throat clear behind him. Dream is leaning against the doorway behind him, watching him.

"How are you doing?" Dream asks, stepping into the room. He's pretty when he's tired, hair unkempt and shirt loose.

"Fine. I always knew I was going to die too young, just didn't know when it would be. I suppose the inevitability of it all is comforting."

Dream holds up a bottle of a familiar purple liquid, a sheepish smile on his lips. "I know it helps you sleep better. Skeppy was helping me brew up another potion, we called Kristin to see what we needed to make it."

"Thank you," Techno says, taking the bottle and downing its contents. He winces at the bitterness, knowing the liquid doesn't have the sweetgrass in it that Phil grows specifically for bad-tasting brews. The Voices immediately start quieting down. "Gods, that's good."

"How long does it take for it to put you to sleep?"

"Hour or two. Why?"

"Do you want to pass the time with something?"

"Sure... what do you have in mind?"

"Writing together. There are empty journals here, and I know that you-"

"I'd love that, Dream."

They fall asleep on opposite sides of the couch together, legs tangled together and journals forgotten on their laps, and Techno sleeps better than he has in a long while. One or two Voices still peep through, murmuring apologies and asking for forgiveness, but other than that, it's quiet.

Chapter Text

"You have a black eye," Dream says, but it's far off, echoey. The effects of the potion are still wearing off, meaning Techno feels high and stupid and fuzzy. It's not a good combination when Dream is trying to communicate things to him. "Techno, do you need to go back to bed?"

"No, 's fine. I'm fine." But he is not fine, because his head is buried in his arms on the counter and his head feels very funny. The Voices are beginning to wake up, shouting TECHNO POG and LATE and things like that, and frankly, it's too loud for the morning hours. He wishes he could sleep, though Techno can't think of any way that would make the Voices shut up.

Unless...

"This is gonna sound really stupid," Techno says, barely raising his head so he can use one eye to peek at Dream. "The Voices- they... if I'm touching someone for long periods of time, they quiet down. Gods, that sounds like a lie, but-"

They do. That's not a lie, actually. Whether it be Phil or Kristin or even Wilbur and Tommy, the Voices shut up when Techno is getting love and affection.

Except for E. E never shuts up.

Fuck E.

"No, no, don't say sorry!" Dream says before Techno can't begin backtracking and apologizing. "Just ask for a hug or some cuddles or something, that's not out of our- our boundaries. Honest. If it means getting you to feel better, it's worth it."

E's cruel laugh is heard to the left. Techno just buries his head deep in his arms, trying his best to cover his ears at the same time.

"Gods, you think he likes you, too, don't you?" E cackles. "How sad, Techno, how sad indeed. Do you really think someone like Dream would actually offer cuddles to you of all people? He's on top of the world and you're at the bottom. Wow, you actually feel something for this bastard, believe that you can get rid of me and the rest of my poor "lost Souls" from that little head of yours because he loves you too? Pathetic, naive bitch, so stupid thinking someone will ever love you."

Techno ignores E's taunts and insults as best he can, gesturing Dream toward the bedroom down the hall from the kitchen. It's been left unused save for Techno's cape dropped haphazardly on the duvet, meaning the sheets are still crisp and unwrinkled.

"He doesn't love you," E whispers right into Techno's ear. "He just needs to get going and if you're being all whiny and shit, you'll hold him back. You always hold people back, bean, every person. Your parents, Phil and Kristin, and now this man, this man who is a pathetic idea for a love interest when he has shown so much disinterest in everything you do."

Dream is wrapped around Techno's back, effectively spooning him, one hand on Techno's chest and the other's fingers scratching against his scalp. Techno is cowering into him, nearly rolling over and burying his head in Dream's chest, but E's words are getting to him and he needs to hold on as little as he can. If anything, Dream is a good friend to have around, and the idea of messing up their friendship, no matter how much Techno wants more and wants to be free from the damn Voices, is something that he simply can't do.

"You're shaking, Tech, are you sure you're okay?" Dream asks, right into Techno's other ear. Rather than E's screeches, taunts grating into his eardrums and scraping across his damn brain with their shrillness, Dream's words are whispers, breathed against skin in a tone that can only be described as loving, but it's not that, so Techno can't describe it at all.

"Just hold me, please," Techno says, and it feels too vulnerable, but it's Dream, Dream who has fought and laughed with Techno since they were twelve years old, Dream who has stood by his side when times got bad, Dream who is loyal to a fault and amazing to Techno, Dream who is smart and funny and can hold a good, long conversation, and maybe Techno likes feeling vulnerable in front of him.

"You're getting too comfortable with him," E says. They're sitting across from Techno so they're at eye level when he opens his eyes. "Vulnerable? He could kill you at any second and you would be none the wiser. Slit your throat right now, you really think he's being nice? You're a burden, sweetie."

"It's okay," Dream murmurs, pressing a kiss into Techno's hair, and Techno nearly melts, aching for more, aching for this, and he indulges, grabs the hand that's resting on his chest, clasps their fingers together, and just listens to Dream's whispers, blocking out E's horrible taunts and teases.

Some time later, Techno doesn't know how long, he awakes again. The Voices wake up with him, though rather than the cacophony from the first time, they're a low rumble, only occasionally adding comments. Some swear, some praise Dream, some have too much fun with images and symbols, but they're manageable for the moment.

"Dream?" Techno whispers. His hand is still clasped with Dream's, held tightly like one of them needs to be tethered down (it's Techno), and it's so warm around them, bodies pressed so closely together.

"You good now?" Dream whispers back.

Techno nods. "E's gone for the moment and the Voices are... well, annoying, Chat I do love you, but I don't have a headache anymore."

"Good. Good." Dream pulls away and sits up and Techno nearly whines from the loss of contact. The fact that E isn't here is a miracle that Techno will thank every god for as soon as he gets a few moments alone. "We should get back home, actually, or-"

"Yeah." Techno sits up too, lets his back pop on the way, and suddenly they're in bed together, waking up together, and it hurts. He slips out, knowing it's all temporary, that he'll be stuck with these Voices for a long time yet... maybe there's a girl in the village by the Championships arena, or maybe even another teammate of sorts, some guy that could be good to him-

"Dream," Techno says, pulling on his cape. It feels like they've skipped a few minutes, now with them out of bed, gathering their things to head back to their respective houses.

"Yes?" Dream finishes fastening his mask back on, looking up at Techno with the soulless, black eyes burnt onto the piece of birch wood. Techno knows his own boar mask, a literal skull carved with designs and with inlays of gold and precious gems, is intimidating, but there's something about the dead-eyed stare of Dream's that makes Techno want to cower away.

"Are you doing anything next week?"

"No? What are you up to?"

"Championship practice. I need a- for-"

"No need to explain, I'd love to be there." Dream smiles, and for a long moment Techno appreciates him, his stature, his emotions, and E manifests a second later, making rather lewd gestures in Dream's direction and looking angry all the while.

"Cool. Let's go then, I'd expect Phil and Mum to be wanting me back before sunset."

"Oh, 'cause you're a little kid again?"

"No, because I'm cooking dinner for them this evening and would like to do that before the chimney freezes over," Techno says, feigning annoyance but with a smile on his face, and Dream giggles.

"Fine. Then I might have to steal you for a run after, I'm feeling energized." Dream smiles behind his mask and how could Techno say no?

***

"Two to one in Dodgebolt now, Techno in the lead, Dream lining up for the shot, will he make it?... OH, NO, he misses, skims right past Techno's left side, and now both arrows belong to the mighty Blade himself."

Sapnap's commentary, though amusing at times, is remarkably distracting. Not like Techno doesn't have things going on in his head or an apparition who is the thing he hates most in the world trying to scream insults while he shoots arrows, but an outside voice is much more distracting than one of the Voices.

"Come on, bean, you can win this one!" E laughs, jumping up and down while clapping their hands. "Oh, he's not a failure after all, look at that, ladies and gentlemen? Now, if you would only go talk to- oh wait, he hates you, remember? He'll never speak to you, never love you-"

"And Techno hits it! Raining champion of MCC number 28 and the crowd goes wild!" Sapnap, Wilbur, George, Tommy, Ranboo, and Niki all watch from the sidelines, cheering nearly loud enough to imitate a regular Championships crowd, and Techno bows, blowing kisses to his "adoring fans".

"Great job, Big T, now do that in the actual Championship and you might have a chance!" Tommy yells, and if it were anyone else, Techno would go and punch him for the comment. Instead, he grins, waves to Tommy, then turns back to his opponent.

"You're getting better," Dream says, wiping sweat off the back of his neck with a towel. "You could actually win this if you don't break your nose again."

"Why must you and my brother torture me so?" Techno muses, though he's smiling at Dream. "Another round?"

"No, no, I was thinking a bit of parkour, actually, get the blood pumping and all." Dream winks and tosses the towel into the bin, landing the shot.

"Oh, if only you had that aim when we were playing Dodgebolt!"

"Shut up!" Dream lands a punch to his arm but does nothing more, instead turning towards the rest of their friends. "Anyone for parkour?"

Everyone else declines the invitation so it's just Dream and Techno stumbling along the beams and ladders of the new parkour course, trying hard not to crash down into the Void below (it doesn't hurt, they just want to win). As always, Dream is a few feet ahead, but not for long as Techno makes it through neos on the first try and Dream hesitates on them instead.

They're neck and neck as they near the final climb, a 75-foot ladder up to the final buzzer of completion, and Techno doesn't even feel tired, just feels the tightness of his muscles and the strain of his shoulders as he barrels upwards. Dream is practically scampering like a squirrel, grabbing onto the rungs for only a second before pushing forward still, and it takes a lot in Techno to not get distracted by it.

"No!" Dream yells as Techno scrambles onto the platform first, hitting the buzzer only a moment before Dream, and the words 'TechnoBlade completed the course' appear in the sky above them. The Voices are cheering for him, shouting praise and love (some say "TECHNO SLOW" but they're easily ignored), and Techno whoops, then very nearly falls off the platform.

Dream catches him, of course he does, spins Techno around in a graceful turn and into a hug, a strong one, before pulling back and smiling wide at him.

"Ha!" Techno laughs, and they share a high five in victory. Both are panting and red-faced but Techno feels alive, like he could run for hours on end, like he could best an entire army by himself-

"Holy shit, Techno, that was incredible! Gods, I love you, the way you were practically running up those ladders? That was amazing, you were blurry at points and the-"

It's quiet.

For the first time in Techno's life, it's completely silent inside of his head.

He stumbles backward, away from Dream, who looks confused before his expression drops.

It's quiet.

It's quiet, quiet, quiet-

"Shit."

Chapter Text

Quiet.

Silence.

Noiseless.

Soundless.

Nothing.

There is nothing in Techno's head except for one voice, his own voice, speaking in his own words, screaming "What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck?" over and over again. It seems like it's echoing, like he's supposed to be asleep but there's always Voices when he sleeps, even with the meds, and-

"Techno?" There's Dream's voice, outside of his head like it always has been, and Techno looks up. Dream is squatting in front of him, looking panicked and apologetic. "Holy fuck, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize- was that too much? I- it just slipped out, I-"

"What do thoughts feel like?" Techno asks, trying to not pay attention to the emptiness. "Your own thoughts, in your head, what are they like?"

Dream pauses, looking... bewildered might be a good word for it, honestly, before speaking. "There's only one voice in there. It sings in other people's voices, can speak in accents and everything, but it's- it's yours. You control it, I mean, though it wanders sometimes... are the Voices gone?"

"I think- I think so, yes. There's only one voice and it's mine, it's-" Techno's crying, he's not sure when it started. "It's quiet, Dream, it's quiet, there's nothing-"

"I love you," Dream says again, and nothing happens, and Techno feels euphoric. It's so quiet, so amazingly quiet, and he's thinking for himself again, only has one voice bossing him around and it's his own!

"I love you, too," Techno replies, and he tackles Dream in a kiss, vaulting from the crouch he fell into right onto the man in front of him, and gods, does it feel good. Everything feels so silent and wonderful and empty and Techno feels like he's alone for the first time in his life. Well, not alone, not when he's kissing the man he's in love with, but there's just the two of them, no inconvenient Voices trying to interrupt his own thoughts.

His own thoughts. Techno can think again without the input of a million other thoughts. It's refreshing.

As he breaks the kiss, Dream pulls Techno tight to his chest, wrapping him in the best hug of Techno's entire life, and Techno's still crying and it doesn't matter.

"Are you feeling okay? Like are you going to die? Because if you're going to die I should get you-"

Techno shuts him up with another kiss. It feels good, so good, just the sounds of their mouths moving together and the distant clicking of the parkour course.

They're still on the parkour course. Gods, they're kissing on the parkour course of the Championships and Techno is still crying from how good it feels. "I'm not gonna die," he laughs, holding onto Dream, feeling the warmth of his skin under his hands, and there's no one to comment on it except for his own thoughts, his own voice. "I'm not gonna die!"

"You're not gonna die!" Dream says happily, and then they're jumping around in a circle in joy, hands held together. Techno feels pure ecstasy, jumping around with the man he loves in celebration of not being killed by the curse that's ravaged him since he was four years old. It's weird, but it feels great, and they're both laughing and red-faced when they finally stop. It feels like being kids again, young teenagers who still didn't really know anything about the world, and knowing that you're not going to die, well, that's a pretty good way of describing that same feeling.

Dream doesn't let go of Techno at all, likely in fear of the effects of the curse having some sort of incubation period, but Techno feels great, better than he has in a long time, and it's all because it's quiet for the first time.

***

"Can I go see the cows, Ranboo?" Techno asks quietly, staring down at his feet.

Ranboo is kind enough to even go with him, but Techno is dropping right into the cow pen before Ranboo can even say "that's dangerous". It's loud, so so loud in the cow pen, mooing and hooves stamping and-

"Techno, get out of there, holy shit!" He's being pulled up by his boyfriend, away from the sounds and the movement of many bodies, many minds. "What the hell were you thinking, you could be killed in there?"

Techno doesn't answer why. Dream will be mad or worried if he did, so Techno just shrugs instead. "I wanted to see a new calf and I wasn't thinking about safety."

It was loud, it was loud again, I miss the loud-

"Don't do it again," Dream says, and how can Techno deny him?

***

Techno barely sleeps anymore, and if he does, it's with the help of a potion.

"You don't even need those anymore, why are you taking them?" Dream asks, looking at the bottle in Techno's hand. They're nearly in bed, undressed and ready to curl up with each other, but Techno has the potion and there's no glass allowed when they're sleeping.

"They taste good? I don't know."

And Dream doesn't question it again.

***

"Faster," Techno growls to himself, jumping over poles and fence posts and spiked bushes full of thorns. "Come on, you can go faster, Technoslow, faster, come on-"

He wins Ace Race and collapses onto the ground, panting hard and drenched in sweat. Wilbur, ever his biggest fan (besides Dream of course), dumps a full bucket of water on him as the crowd around them cheers.

"Techno?" Jordan is crashing through the finish line as well, wearing the same purple jersey as Techno is. "Who were you talking to?"

"Myself," Techno says simply. "Helps me run faster."

'TECHNOBLADE IN FIRST', the announcer screams through the speakers and the crowd cheers again. 'DREAM IN SECOND!'

There's Techno's beautiful boyfriend, looking flawless and calm and not like he just ran three laps on the racetrack. "Hey, love," he says, offering a hand to Techno, who takes it happily. "You broke the all-time race record by almost four minutes."

"Yeah?" Techno aches for the affirmations of the Voices for a long second before speaking again. "I believe that should call for some celebration once this team wins the Championship, don't you think, dearest?"

"I agree," Dream giggles, leaving an affirming kiss on Techno's lips.

They scream their lungs out that night, surrounded by friends and family and celebrating their third win together, as well as Dream's record time on parkour and Techno's race sweep. It feels good, damn good, and for the first time in a long time, Techno thinks it's actually loud enough.

***

"Oh, Techno, think you're free from us?" E croons. E always croons, draws out their words like they're talking to a child or a pretty flower rather than a grown man. "You'll never be free, bean, never ever."

Techno wakes up with a jolt and Dream just hugs him closer, burying his nose into Techno's hair.

He's glad to have Dream.

***

"It's too quiet," Techno says, one evening while they're sitting quietly in the living room. The radio is on and playing some old jazz song and Techno has been remapping old plans for buildings for hours now.

"Is it?" Dream glances around the room, looking up from his book on 'Evasion Strategies for the Modern Criminal'. "What do you need to make it better?"

Techno knows the honest answer, the answer that will make Dream upset even if it's the truth, so he just says, "Come with me on a walk?"

They find a waterfall out in the woods, a big rushing one that crashes down into the creek below, and Techno closes his eyes to listen. The cows, surprisingly, were the closest things he's gotten to what the Voices were like, but the waterfall is enough, beating hard against his eardrums and filling his mind up so much that he can't even hear his own thoughts anymore. It reminds him of older times when he didn't know which Voice was his and which was a Soul's.

"You're whispering to yourself again," Dream says, right in his ear, and Techno looks up, shuts his mouth and blushes because of it.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, love, I just- I worry about you sometimes. There's still the aspect of losing your mind after losing the curse and-"

"I'm fine, dearest." Techno grabs Dream and kisses him, kisses him right there in front of the waterfall, and oh, does it feel good. "You are all I need. You are what I need. You've saved me, Dream, and for that I love you."

"I think you actually owe me your life, but that's neither here nor-" Dream starts, but he's cut off with a kiss full of laughter from both sides.

***

"This is for you," Techno says, carefully setting a box on Dream's knee. They're still panting from the previous thirty minutes, laid out on their sheets and bared to each other, and maybe it's not time for the gift but Techno wants to do it now. "You asked me about courting rituals back in the Nether, and I-"

"Oh, Techno, it's beautiful." Dream opens the box and removes the necklace, a thin gold chain with a tiny white opal as its pendant. "Did you find this?"

"It's a family tradition to pass that necklace along to your lover. My mother's family, I mean. And when she- when she passed, she left that to me in the hope that I, unlike her, could give it to someone I love and am devoted to."

Techno has only seen Dream cry two times before and this marks the third. It's important for both of them, especially as Dream sits up and Techno clips the necklace around his throat, fingers brushing against warm skin. "It looks beautiful on you, my love." He presses a kiss to the side of Dream's head and they fall onto the mattress, back pressed to chest, bodies flush together.

***

"How's it going without the curse?" Bad asks, looking Techno over. "You look- younger, I think, or maybe that's just the fact that you're in a healthy relationship now."

"Or maybe it's all the sex!" Skeppy yells from the other room.

"Language!" Bad scowls, then turns back to the man in front of him. "May I touch you, see if all of the magic is out of there?"

"You can, yes."

Bad can't touch him. Techno feels the hand coming towards his wrist but it never makes contact. Strange.

"That's some powerful magic you've got there," Bad says, taking his hand away. "Incredible, love spells like that aren't seen very often."

"You mean I'm cursed again?"

"Hmm? No, no, it just means that Dream is- well, you physically can't be cursed again because he's so devoted to you. It's like a sigil, essentially, likely in the first place you touched each other in the form of a mark of sorts. Fascinating, I've never seen one in person."

Techno holds out his finger and shows Bad the white scar on the inside of his thumb. "I never was hurt here, is that it?"

"That's probably why you haven't died, yes. Dream's essentially protected you for all these years, made sure you wouldn't pass because of the Souls. Congratulations, Techno, that's hard to come by."

"Thank you?"

Dream saunters into the room at the moment, drinking something from a glass bottle and looking very pleased with himself. The opal against his chest glints in the sunlight for a moment and Techno knows he'd follow this man till the ends of the Earth.

"You ready to go, love?" Dream asks, coming up next to Techno, and when Techno leans his head on his hip, it feels like a mirror of the last time they spoke to Bad about the curse.

"No, no, Bad's invited us to game night in an hour and I need to kick Skeppy's ass in Scrabble."

It must be some sort of miracle that they don't get "languaged", just Bad nodding along.

***

People say that the Championships were "hacked", whatever the hell that means, but whatever it is, there's real damage to Techno when he respawns on the platform overlooking SkyBattle, ears ringing and nose bleeding for the gajillionth time.

'Stray TNT', 'Wrongful mechanisms', 'someone against Technoblade', 'cheater', 'dangerous games', 'cancel the games' are all whispers that Techno hears as he's being carted away on a stretcher, Dream running along with a broken tooth and blood pouring out of his shoulder from an arrowshot.

"It's alright, baby, you're alright," Dream says, but it echoes, echoes like his own thoughts, and everything goes silent as Techno passes out.

He wakes up next to Dream, thank the gods above, but they're not in their own bedroom, in some foreign place with a too-heavy blanket, and everything is quiet again.

"Dream?" Techno says, but he can't hear his own voice. He feels the rumble of it in his chest, knows that he's speaking, but he can't hear it.

Dream sits up, smiles sadly, and grabs a notepad lying on the bed next to him.

Hi, love he writes. guess it's really quiet now, huh?

Yeah, it is.

Completely quiet except for one voice.

His own thoughts.

Oh, how good the silence feels.