Chapter Text
Tommy wasn’t doing too well, that much was clear to anyone. Though, at least he wasn’t dead.
Techno tried to keep any of his jewellery from clinking together as he followed Tommy, shrouded by an invisibility potion. He’d heard from Ranboo that the kid had died, and he needed to check for himself. Obviously, he was wrong, seeing as Tommy was alive and walking around the SMP.
He didn’t look too good, though. He seemed jumpy, frightened of his own shadow. When he went to pull a block from his inventory, his hands shook like he had the arthritis of a ninety year old. Techno had been following him for a day and a half, and hadn’t seen him eat once.
Tommy stood up slowly, bracing himself against a tree as he did so. Techno frowned; Tommy had seemed lively and well just a few months before, crouching down to pet his wolves with ease. There was no way he could have sustained an injury bad enough to leave him in the state he was in in such a short span of time.
Unless Ranboo wasn’t lying, one of the voices whispered, disembodied eyes glinting with malicious intent in the back of his mind. You’ve heard of revival magic, how it tears the soul from the body, shatters it, stitches it back together piece by excruciating piece-
“Shut up,” Techno whispered, voice dipping into a growl. The voice slunk back to wherever it came from, but its job was done. Techno couldn’t shake the idea that Tommy really had died, had been murdered in prison, bleeding out where the sun couldn’t hold him in the embrace that he always sought out, that made his eyes sparkle like the sea and his hair glisten in a way that rivalled even the finest treasure in Techno’s hoard.
It would make sense. Revival magic was a delicate thing, not meant to be meddled with. There were rumours that those brought back by it would be held together by pure magic, only ever a sharp blow away from shattering.
If that was the case, then Tommy definitely wasn’t taking care of himself like he should. Techno had been following him for a while, and he wasn’t blind. Tommy wasn’t eating, wasn’t sleeping, and seemed on the verge of collapsing at any given moment.
If Tommy wouldn’t take care of himself, then Techno would.
Techno slipped into Tommy’s shack behind him before he closed the door, barely avoiding brushing past him as he did. Tommy headed to his chests and started to rifle through them, creating enough noise to cover Techno’s movements.
Techno reached into his inventory, pulling out a splash potion of weakness. It would complicate getting Tommy to trust him down the line, but it was the easiest way to get him to come home with him without a struggle. Deciding that the pros outweighed the cons, Techno threw the potion, watching it pop into view as it left his hand.
Tommy staggered when it hit him, already being weak. Techno caught him before he hit the floor, hefting him over his shoulder.
“What- who the fuck-?” Tommy mumbled, trying and failing to push himself off of Techno. Oh, right. He was invisible.
“It’s just me, runt. Come on, let’s get you home,” Techno rumbled, instincts rising once he finally had his treasure back in his arms. He was in such a bad state though, it just wasn’t right. He wasn’t meant to be dull, or quiet, or tense, or any of the things he was in that moment.
Shine him up, one of the voices suggested.
He’s too light, get him some food.
Potato soup!
He’s cold, wrap him up.
Hehe, Burritommy.
Techno was inclined to agree with the voices. Tommy was awfully light, and was cold to the touch. He shrugged off his cape, wrapping Tommy in it and holding him close to his chest. As a piglin hybrid, he naturally was like a walking heater. It seemed to work, as Tommy’s eyes drooped and he seemingly subconsciously snuggled closer.
Pride swelled in Techno’s chest at the motion, instincts starting to haze his mind. Even if he’d failed before, he was still Tommy’s protector. His runt hadn’t scorned him. Techno pushed the door open with his foot, invisibility starting to wear off as he took Tommy home.
*****
Tommy was warm. It should seem like a normal thing, but Tommy hadn’t felt warm since before his death, an ever present chill lingering in his bones every day since then. He tried to roll over, but found something heavy holding him down.
He was so warm, and comfortable, and whatever he was lying on was so soft. He didn’t want to move. But something was holding him in place, and he did want to find out what it was.
Cracking his eyes open, he found an arm warped around him, holding him to the source of heat. He looked up, finding the sleeping face of Technoblade, of all people.
Well, shit.
The man seemed to still be asleep, not disturbed by Tommy’s small movements. Tommy gently tried to lift the arm off him, wriggling away from the hybrid. His efforts were rewarded with him falling off the bed, thankfully having the noise be muffled by the pile of blankets that had fallen to the ground with him.
Glancing up, Tommy breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Techno was still asleep. He had no fucking clue why he was here in Techno’s cabin, let alone in his room of all places, but he knew he had to leave. He winced as the door creaked when he cracked it open, shivering at the stark difference in temperature between Techno’s room and the rest of the house.
Tommy went as quickly as he dared to go down the stairs, pausing at the bottom as the smell of something heavenly filled his nose. He remembered Techno making potato soup the last time he was here, the two of them huddled against each other on the couch as they ate it.
Tommy shook his head, trying to clear away the thoughts. That was back then. Things were different, he couldn’t afford to lose precious time reminiscing, of all things. He pushed onwards, nearly making it to the door before he caught his eye in a mirror hanging by the living room.
Techno had been busy.
His hair was washed and braided, with fine chains woven throughout. He didn’t know how he didn’t notice that he was in Techno’s clothes earlier, hanging loose on him, the hybrid being large even by piglin standards. His face had been scrubbed of his hard earned dirt, which... he didn’t know how to feel about.
He should be angry, right? Techno had apparently kidnapped him and decided to play beauty salon while he was knocked out.
Before he could decide how to feel, Tommy heard a crash from upstairs. Techno had woken up. He rushed to the door, not bothering to stay quiet anymore. Techno’s bedroom door slammed open, rattling the window frames throughout the house.
The sound of the hybrid thumping down the stairs was enough to shake Tommy out of his thoughts, his hand latching onto the door handle. He went to turn it, only to hear a damning click.
He was locked in.
Techno rounded the corner, eyes wide and furious as they landed on Tommy’s hand. He slowed to a walk, approaching Tommy. There was nowhere to go. Nowhere except for into Techno’s arms, but he looked pissed. Tommy panicked, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.
“ Protector.” Techno stopped in his tracks for a moment, pupils blown wide, before surging forward in a whirlwind of chuffs and purrs, pulling Tommy into his chest.
“ Mine,” Techno purred, taking Tommy aback. “All mine, my gold, my treasure, my runt. ” Tommy could only remember Techno having an episode like this back when he was six, when Techno was developing his instincts.
It was part of the reason why he had to leave, Phil getting worried about Techno’s possessiveness. Tommy thought that Techno no longer saw him as his runt, something he had grieved in secret. It was for the best. Apparently, Techno hadn’t stopped. If anything, he’d only gotten worse.
Tommy ignored the part of himself that preened at the thought. That he was worth protecting, worth treasuring. Instead, he let himself fall limp, burying his face into Techno’s chest.
“Yours.”