#g!technoblade

The first snowflakes slowly began to fall upon the city. Christmas was drawing near, the markets were bustling, and the holiday spirit once again came alive. By evening, the snow had piled up into heaps, and it didn’t look like it would stop falling anytime soon.At the orphanage on the edge of town, the children and caretakers were also preparing for the upcoming Christmas. Everyone was busy decorating, baking, and cleaning. Everyone except Tommy. He was locked up in his room. Alone. Isolated in the darkness of his small chamber, with only the moonlight shining faintly through the torn blinds.He sat on his bed, staring at the flakes drifting slowly down outside the window.

After a while, his gaze wandered to the broken fence behind which stretched a vast forest. Everyone knew something lived in those woods… something that shouldn’t be there. And everyone who had ever dared to enter never came back. That was what fascinated Tommy. He dreamed of a grand adventure—of facing the monster said to dwell within the forest.

Maybe, with some luck, he might even slay the beast. Tommy was a foolish teenager with impossible dreams, but not foolish enough to ignore the fact that no one would really miss him if he left. People would shrug their shoulders and move on with their lives. He had wanted to run away for a long time, but never found the courage… until now. Now, he knew he was ready.

He packed his backpack with food, water, and a change of clothes. He put on a warm hoodie and jacket, wrapped himself in a scarf, pulled on a hat and gloves. A pocketknife hung from his belt. With a deep breath, he opened the window.One last glance around his room, a quiet sigh—and he leapt out.

The fall wasn’t far, and he landed safely in the fresh snow. Picking himself up, he made his way quickly toward the broken fence.Darkness and silence surrounded him as he walked the worn path into the woods. Then—something cracked behind him. He spun around sharply… but saw nothing. He stared into the shadows, but no matter how hard he tried, he saw nothing.

He regretted not bringing a flashlight.He pressed forward.

The further he went, the more it seemed as though the trees and the world itself were growing larger around him. The snowfall thickened until it nearly became a blizzard.He was cold. He didn’t know where to go. And he was afraid. Afraid of the legends.Tommy sighed.

Again—crack. Behind him. He turned—nothing. His pace quickened. Now the cracking came more often.

Suddenly, his feet slipped and he sprawled onto the ground. He had slid onto a frozen lake. For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the sky, as the heavy snowflakes quickly covered him. Then—crack. Louder this time. Closer.He shook the snow off, carefully getting back to his feet so he wouldn’t slip again. Something was there. Moving between the massive trees, barely visible through the storm. But he knew what he saw.

A towering figure. A giant…Panic struck him. This was exactly what he had hoped to avoid.His breathing grew sharp and fast. He had nowhere to hide. No real way to run. He stood exposed on the open plain of the frozen lake, with no chance of cover. And surely, it already knew where he was.

Tommy’s breath came in shallow bursts. His body screamed at him to stay still, to not make a sound, because the giant was sitting barely a few steps away, close enough to end him in a heartbeat. He found the giant's camp...or something. The fire popped, and Tommy flinched. His hands clutched the straps of his backpack until his knuckles hurt. The giant didn’t move much, only shifted his weight, a shadow larger than life bending with the flames. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the same weight as the storm outside—low, heavy, merciless.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

The words struck harder than a blow. Tommy’s throat tightened.

He wanted to explain—he didn’t even know what. That he hadn’t meant to intrude? That he hadn’t thought the stories were true? The words tangled in his mouth and died. The giant's eyes narrowed. In the flickering light, they seemed to glow faintly, like embers buried in ash.

“Humans,” he muttered, almost spitting the word. “Always wandering where they don’t belong."

Tommy felt his chest seize. He hates me. He hates all of us. His voice finally cracked free, small and trembling:

“…Are you going to kill me?”

The giant’s gaze held him still, and for a heartbeat Tommy swore he saw the answer there—yes. His skin crawled with the certainty of it. But then the giant looked away, staring into the fire instead. His jaw tightened.

“No” he said flatly.

The silence that followed was worse than any threat. Tommy’s pulse raced so loud he was sure the giant could hear it. He curled in on himself, trying to make his body as small as possible, as if that could hide him.

He was shaking, not just from the cold that still clung to his bones, but from the weight of the presence before him. the giant's massive hand shifted, tossing another log into the fire. The flames roared higher, throwing sharp light over his face. Tommy saw scars etched deep into his skin, an expression carved of stone, and eyes that looked as though they’d seen too much and cared for none of it. Yet, buried beneath that glare, Tommy thought—maybe he imagined it—there was something else.

Soulmates; for some they’re lovers, for some they’re best friends. Either way they are meant to be inseparable pairs. Everyone’s got one; that one person with whom you’re supposed to spend your life with. They’re tied together with a metaphorical string, fate pulling them closer and closer together until the day they finally meet. Both bear matching marks on their wrists and have the ability to message each other by writing on their arm.

---

Wilbur considered himself a very skilled borrower, a very well-educated borrower. With this information you may be wondering, how exactly did he find himself trapped in the sticky web of a garden spider? It’s a very short story. Unfortunately, this house was not the most ideal for a borrower, but it was his home, and moving was a lot of work. The biggest flaw was that it had children. 

A very loud, rambunctious teenager with an unfortunate fascination with bugs, insects, and mud. Meaning it spent most of its time running around the yard. The yard that Wilbur had to traverse during his day-to-day life.

Now how does this tie in (ha, tie) to him getting stuck in a spider’s web? Unfortunately, the child had just gotten home, yelling at the top of its lungs of course, about its latest school project. Involving insects. And usually said child did all its bug hunting in the backyard. So he knew he had to hurry if he wanted to make it home alive.

But hurrying when you’re in the process of carrying a stack of firewood in your arms usually tends to cause accidents, which is exactly what happened. The brunet borrower couldn’t see where he was going over the pile of sticks in his arms, and ended up tripping over a few rocks and was sent stumbling right into the sticky webbing strapped to the tall gnarled roots of the oak tree in the backyard. Wilbur had been trying very hard to avoid the webs whenever he went outside, knowing the orb weaver it belonged to was not one to be crossed. It wasn’t a particularly massive spider, not bigger than him, not like ones he’d heard stories of. But it was much bigger than any ants or bees he’d seen in the garden. And he knew how bad their venomous bites were.

His little brother had had a run-in with it once, before they’d gotten separated. It had left him unable to move for a few days, and the nausea and fever that followed was awful. Wilbur had tended to him the entire time, and thankfully Tubbo had recovered.

The tall borrower wondered where he was these days, and prayed to Prime that he was safe. Though currently, he was praying for his own safety. Death by an orb weaver was not swift and painless. He’d be paralysed by its painful bite, and then wrapped up in the silky webbing to be eaten later… just like the moth he’d seen tied up in its web the week prior.

‘Oh here it comes now.’ he thought fatalistically as the webbing vibrated, and the bright yellow marked spider started climbing down the large web, its beady eyes trained on the brunet. Wilbur stared up at it with a frown, trying not to let his fear show. It wasn’t like he wanted to die. Quite the opposite. He was actually absolutely terrified, but struggling didn’t work. He’d tried at least a dozen times. The borrower looked down at his chest, glaring down at his ugly yellow sweater before closing his eyes, waiting for paralysis to take him. 

Damn. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to his soulmate… 

He opened his eyes again and stared down at his arm, his trench coat sleeve covering the pictogram on his wrist. It was a picture of a music note, a sword down the centre of the treble clef. Wilbur sighed sadly and looked up at his impending doom with a fierce glare.

“I hope you get indigestion, you yellow menace.” he spat as venomously as the orb weaver’s own poison. The spider hissed in response, pinching its venomous pincers. So apparently, spiders can speak English. Cool. Unless this spider was secretly his soulmate. But Wilbur sincerely doubted that. Never in a million years had he heard of cross-species soulmates. The idea was just absurd.

“Oh go shove a moth in it won’t you? We both know you’d never beat me in a fair fight.” Wilbur snarled out, glaring into the spider’s beady eyes. 

Suddenly he felt the web vibrating more, continuously, but the garden spider wasn’t moving. The orb weaver seemed to pause, going still. If spiders were intelligent, he’d say he could see the gears turning in its head.

“What? Calling your mate are you? Am I a lunch date for the two of you or something??”

Then the spider ran away.

“...Uh… okay… bye then?” 

Anxiety pooled in his stomach as the webbing vibrated more and more, but it wasn’t a spider. The ugly yellow bastard was already scuttling off into the tall grass. Wilbur could feel the tremors travel from the ground to the webbing, he could see the ground shaking. Thunder roared under the earth as something big stomped closer and closer, and before he knew it, he found himself engulfed in an impossibly massive shadow, a pair of giant shoes planted centimetres in front of him. Well, bigger spider could definitely be crossed off the list!

“Where’s that yellow spider… I know it’s around here. It’d be perfect!” a loud voice rumbled overhead, and the brunet hesitantly looked up, and up, worried that his greatest fears were about to smack him right in the face.

And he was proven right as he saw the creature casting the shadow, was none other than that giant blond menace of a human, standing over him, a glass jar in hand. It wasn’t looking at him… yet, instead scanning the tree branches for… the spider apparently. You know what? Wilbur was fine with this. The death traps could deal with each other. The human would probably win but at least it’d be putting the orb weaver out of his misery.

The borrower squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a small startled gasp as the blond suddenly stepped over him obliviously, still looking around the tree for the bright yellow spider. While that was scary… he wasn’t dead! Wilbur slowly reopened his eyes, shuddering as he felt the tremors still. Now was his chance to get free while the giant was distracted and the spider was elsewhere!

Wilbur focused on one arm to start, trying to rip his right arm free from the sticky silk. Then once he got it free, he could pull his knife out of his bag and-

“Woah… what’re you supposed to be?” a voice cut through his thoughts, and the borrower felt his heart skip a beat. Looking down, the shadow had changed. Slowly he looked up, and up, and met the gaze of the massive human. It was tall and lanky, taller than most humans he’d seen in his lifetime, yet had a child-likeness to its face. Massive icy blue orbs bore into his own, and Wilbur felt a shiver travel down his spine, only one word going through his head.

Fuck.

“Well? You can talk, can’t you little man?” the human crouched down in front of him, and the brunet gave it the most venomous glare he could muster despite the fact that he was trembling. The borrower rules, AKA his way of life, said under no circumstances should you talk to a human. It usually ended in getting dissected or something painful like that. But also, fuck the rules, this kid just had such an insultable face. 

“So what if I can? What's it to you, big man?” he spat mockingly.

“Well, truth be told, you’re pretty unusual, and I just happen to be looking for something unique. You’re far more interesting than some garden spider that’s for sure.” the borrower tensed, trying not to show his nervousness as anxiety flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.

“I wouldn’t call myself particularly interesting actually. I’m a bit tied up right now, physically and metaphorically. So how about you help me out and we can just forget we ever met, yeah?” Wilbur tried, starting to sweat a bit.

“Hmmmmmm, nah,” the human gave him a toothy grin. “It’s not every day you find a tiny person in your backyard.” in all honesty, yeah that was understandable. But also fucking shit piss hell fuck shit-

The borrower let out a startled noise and visibly recoiled as a giant hand suddenly reached over and wrapped around his small frame, easily ripping him from the spider web and carrying him into the air. 

“This- okay how about we make a deal?” he tried nervously, and the human raised an eyebrow.

“What sort of deal? I’ll have you know, I’m an excellent businessman and not easily persuaded.” Wilbur swallowed nervously as he was lifted higher up, held in front of the giant face, the kid nearly going cross-eyed to stare at him. 

“Well, I’ll tell you the truth. I’m actually an alien.” he whispered.

“What.”

“That's right, I come from the planet of-... L’manburg…” the borrower said slowly.

“Sounds like bullshit but alright.” the human didn’t look convinced, but Wilbur continued the act.

“Wh- excuse me?? How dare you!” 

“Look pal, I know aliens aren’t real. You’re coming with me, and that's that.” Wilbur’s stomach lurched as the human stood to its full height, and he was stuffed into it’s shirt pocket.

“Just a sec-” the colour drained from his face as the giant started fiddling with the mason jar it’d brought outside with it, and started unscrewing the lid. Wilbur had a feeling he knew exactly what it was for, and his anxiety was suddenly heightened. His heart rate went from one to a hundred in less than a second as giant fingers pinched the back of his trenchcoat and carried him into the air, before unceremoniously dropping him into the glass prison. 

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-

He slowly scooted back until his coat pressed against the cold, hard wall. The brunet crossed his arms over his chest, hiding how they shook as he continued glaring up at the child.

“Are you aware kidnapping is a crime?”

“I’d hardly call it kidnapping when you’re the size of a mouse.” the human chuckled in response. Wilbur was knocked onto his hands and knees as the container jolted suddenly, and everything started moving. He took one look at the ground far below before yanking his head back and glaring up at the giant once again.

“N-not even going to ask for my name?”

“Would you tell me if I asked?” blondie raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe,” Wilbur crossed his arms. “Will you tell me yours so I can stop mentally referring to you as ‘child’?” 

The human stopped in its tracks, sputtering out an offended string of noises.

“How fucking dare you! I am not a child you tiny bitch! If anything you’re the child!” 

“And how exactly does that logic track?”

“Cos’ you’re short an’ shit.” the borrower raised an eyebrow this time.

“Yes well I think it’s been established I’m not a human. So you can’t hold me to human standards.”

"What are you then? Some weird mutated rat man? Or are you a faerie?" the jar was lifted higher, and Wilbur nearly fell flat on his face.

“Are you going to tell me your name or not?”

“Fineeeeeeeeeeeeee,” the blond rolled its eyes. “It’s Tommy, TommyInnit, the biggest man.”

“Uhuh…”

“What's yours then?” ‘Tommy’ questioned, staring holes into his head with his massive eyeballs. “Wilbur. No title.”

“Got any friends, Wilbur no title?” the human asked teasingly, and Wilbur scowled.

“Not that I can think of…”

“So no one to miss you? Well don’t worry, you and I can be the best of friends.” suddenly the jostling worsened tenfold, and the poor borrower was beginning to feel motion sick.

Fucking hell…

He tried his best to stay upright, sitting back against the glass with his palms pressed to the curved walls.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to pass.” he bit out.

“Wha- why?! I’m probably- no definitely, the coolest and greatest man you’ve ever met!” Wilbur crossed his arms.

“You put me in a jar, and you’re annoy-ing.” he enunciated the last word. The blond human obviously wasn’t happy with this answer. The stupid child sputtered and scoffed.

“Well- y’know- I- I might seem a little annoying at first- but I promise it’ll grow on you!”

“...I don’t care.” he wasn’t exactly scared of the human anymore… it was more like… a fear for his safety.

Tommy’s face scrunched up in anger, going bright red, Wilbur thought he looked like a tomato- He yelped as he was thrown against the glass again, and he realised the human was swinging the jar through the air… again.

"Can you not??" he grumbled out, but Tommy didn't stop swinging his arm back and fourth as he walked.

"What was that little man? You're so quiet I can't hear you!" the blond replied loudly in an exasperated tone.

"Oh my Prime you are such a fucking child-" he grunted in pain as he was slammed against the glass wall again.

"ALRIGHT FUCK! I'M SORRY!" his stomach lurched and he fell onto his back, but the jar finally stopped swinging.

"Apology accepted."

"Prime, do you humans really feel no shred of guilt?? Empathy??" Wilbur demanded.

"I do but you're being a bit of a dick right now if I'm being honest." Tommy stated firmly, and Wilbur clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms. He paused, and stared down at his arm. That's right… he had a chance to tell him soulmate his goodbyes now! The only blessing the human boy unknowingly gave him. Quickly he rolled up his sleeve,

'Techno are you there?' he wrote quietly, trying his best to remain inconspicuous so as to not get interrupted by the blond human.

'Hi. I just got home.' an answer appeared on his arm, causing it to tingle.

'I have some…' Wilbur paused, dread pooling in his stomach as he thought about what he was writing.

'Bad news.' he finished.

'Ok. What is it?' his soulmate responded, the message didn't look all too urgent, but Wilbur knew that was just how Technoblade was sometimes.

'I'm… I'm kind of in troubl-' he started to write, when the jar gave another violent shake, and smooth wood appeared below his feet. Looking around, Wilbur realised it was a table, the big one in the kitchen where all the humans ate. An intrusive thought wormed it's way into his mind at the implications of that.

Tommy sat down in front of him, just staring him down with those big blue orbs. Why did blue-eyed people always look scarier than everyone else?

"Well you got awfully quiet." Tommy started, and the borrower gave him a frown of malcontent.

"Apologies, contrary to what you might think,most people don't enjoy making conversation with their kidnapper." he bit out, pausing to look down at his arm as it tingled again.

"Alright, kidnapping is a strong word pal." Tommy interrupted, only to get ignored.

'With the police?' the message read, and he couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him, despite everything going on. The human stared at him like a madman. 

"The fuck are you laughing about??"

"Something my friend said! Is it a crime to want to laugh now?!" Wilbur snapped, giving him a venomous glare. Tommy looked like he was going to yell or something unnecessarily aggressive again, but stopped, a new emotion crossed his features; guilt.

"You mean… your soulmate?" the blond asked slowly, in a surprisingly gentle tone.

"...Yes." 

"Even… tiny people have soulmates?" Tommy asked, as if it was some wildly impossible concept. The brunet stopped himself from glaring, and instead swallowed down his anger and worry.

"Yes… of course we do. Everyone does." 

"Actually, I don't." the blond replied bitterly, and Wilbur gave him a confused look.

"What? Don't humans have them?"

"Yes, but I don't," Tommy held his arm up to show the lack of a pictogram on his wrist. "Dadza said I'll get one eventually, but I don't think that's how it works…" 

"Yeah… you look far too old to not have one…" Wilbur mumbled. He'd had his for as long as his memory dated back, and Tubbo's had appeared when he was only two or three. Wait- right Techno!

'No not the police! I mean a human Techno! This isn't the time to joke!' he scribbled quickly, ignoring how he could feel the human child's eyes burning a hole in his head. The silence that followed while Wilbur waited for a response was painful, but eventually it came.

'Oh. I'm sorry… I don’t know what to do. I hope they're nice.' 

'Techno. Human trouble. Obviously they're not nice!' he wrote back quickly.

'So… is this a last words kind of situation?' the message appeared across his arm in slow motion, and a few tears began beading down his cheeks.

'Yes…'

"Are you… crying?" a voice rumbled above him, and Wilbur remembered exactly where he was. He scrubbed away the tears and glared up at the blond.

"No! Fuck off!" the brunet snapped, despite the fact that Tommy sounded genuinely concerned. His tone had completely shifted, and the look on his face was sympathetic as he laid his head on the tabletop, staring into Wilbur's glass prison.

"Alright, suit yourself. I'm just trying to help." the borrower's brain wasn't paying attention to whatever Tommy said as he watched another human enter the room. A red-eyed man with pink hair, his dark roots stealthily showing his natural colour. The pinket looked nervous, staring down at his arm as he walked behind Tommy towards the cabinet where the cups were kept. Wilbur felt his heart beating rapidly, anxiety and panic pooling in his stomach and spreading through his core once again.

"Hm?" Tommy looked between him and the pinket a few times before he realised what must be going on. Suddenly giant hands wrapped around the jar again and Wilbur felt his stomach lurch once more. Tommy held the jar in his lap and turned slightly, blocking his brother's view of it's contents, but not before the brunet caught a glance of his arm.

Technoblade's arm.  

"Heyyyyy Blade." Tommy drawled out in the most suspicious tone ever.

"Hi…" he replied monotonously.

Wilbur's entire world had just come crashing down.

"So uh… what's going on with you? Why are you out here?"

"I'm making tea… and this is the kitchen." Techno deadpanned.

Techno was a human. His only friend, who made him feel safe and hopeful- and think that there were still other borrowers out there!

"You look kind of stressed." the blond pointed out obviously.

"Yeah… m' just worried about ny soulmate… he said some worryin' things and hasn't got back to me yet…" Wilbur hadn't even noticed the new message tickling his arm. He stared down at it in wide-eyed shock.

'I guess I should tell you something then.' the borrower swallowed nervously.

'That you're a human?' he wrote shakily. 

Technoblade let out a small gasp, before looking around in confusion and worry.

"Hello?" the pinket asked aloud, and Tommy looked at him like an absolute lunatic.

'Help me. Techno I'm here. I'm trapped. Your little brother caught me.' he wrote desperately, panic bleeding into his writing. 

There was a silence, before footsteps started thudding against the floor. 

"Tommy." the pinket started, and held out his hand.

"What? What do you want?" the teen asked defensively, hugging the jar tighter to his person with a defiant glare on his face.

"Give me the borrower." Techno demanded calmly, though his aura radiated an intimidating strength. Tommy looked shocked for a minute, before he sneered and shook his head.

"Leave my tiny friend alone and go find your own." 

Wilbur scoffed. Friendship was not what they had, that's for sure.

"Tommy. Give me my soulmate." the pinket tried again, sounding less patient. The borrower felt his mouth go dry and his heart clench. It really was Techno… and… he… actually wanted to help?

"Your soulmate?!" Tommy exclaimed in pure shock.

"Yes. His name is Wilbur." 

"I know what his name is! But what do you mean soulmate?!" Tommy demanded, haphazardly setting the jar down on the table so he could make wild motions his hands.

"Hes tiny! How can you guys be soulmates when hes not even human?!" 

"Don't know, don’t care." Techno stated dismissively before picking the jar up off the table, accidentally knocking Wilbur over….. again. The brunet pushed himself up and scooted back, a nervous look on his face as he pressed his back against the glass. So big… even bigger than Tommy… scary.

He met Techno's harsh, red-brown eyes, and swallowed nervously. Quickly they softened, but it did nothing to quell the poor borrower's anxiety.

"Well let's get you outta' here." Techno said before he started unscrewing the lid. Wilbur didn't have time to process anything as he was gently slid out of the jar and into the human's awaiting hand. The borrower immediately tensed up and braced himself, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for the fingers to close around him like vicious claws. But it never happened.

Slowly he opened his eyes again and looked around, hugging himself. Techno was just staring at him.

"Um…-"

"Sorry- I didn't mean to stare… this is just really weird." the pinket put the jar down and took several steps away from the counter, moving his free hand underneath the other for support.

"You… you knew I was a borrower?" Wilbur asked finally.

"Mhm."

"A-and you never thought to mention you were a human??" Techno looked conflicted, before nodding.

"I figured it might complicate things so I kept it to myself."

"You- I- AHG!" he yelled, tugging at his hair.

"...So mind explaining exactly what's going on? I'm still confused" Tommy interjected.

"Nah. The big kids are busy." Techno replied unapologetically before walking out of the kitchen, and headed upstairs, taking Wilbur with him. Nervousness tugged at his gut, and after a minute, Wilbur worked up the courage to ask.

“Um… Technoblade… what exactly are you… going to do... with me?” the tall human sighed, pushing his bedroom door open with a creak.

“I’m gonna put you down, an’ you can do whatever you want after. I’d like for you to stay and talk… face to face, but I can understand if you don’t wanna do that.” he said in an honest voice.

The borrower mulled over the words as Techno walked across the room to his desk. He gently set Wilbur down on top of it, before sitting down in front of him.

“Well… I suppose I could stay for a little bit…” the brunet started hesitantly. 

“Sounds good. Why don’t we start with how the little gremlin caught you?” Wilbur scoffed.

Anything to distract him from the tower that reached into the sky behind him.

"Do you think he would have done the same, if he were in your position?"

Tubbo shot up, stumbling into the surf. Waves lapping at his legs as he turned to look at the man who interrupted his wandering thoughts.

"Dream."

"Tubbo." He responded smoothly, impassive as ever. The smiling orb swivelled to look blankly at the young president.

"I asked you a question."

Tubbo's shoes were filled with water, his socks soaked through as the ocean saturated the fabric. He does not move. Dream tilts his head.

"Do you think if he was given the choice to exile you, would he?"

"No." His voice tremors with the slightest hesitation. Fists clenched at his sides, the water soaks into his pants further, pushing at his legs as the wind picks up. Dream hums, the single note soft against the steady drum of Tubbo's heartbeat.

His eyes catch on the tower behind Dream, the seemingly endless structure stretching up into the gathering clouds. Breath catching in his throat, he looks away, down at the ocean soaking his dress pants.

"Why are you here." He wills his voice to stay steady. He can't. Not in front of him. But his shaking fists pressed to his side are indication enough.

"If given the chance, would you have taken the fall for him?"

"What are you asking Dream?"

"Would you prefer it, if it were you in his place?"

"Yes." This time, his voice is steady. It's something he had thought of far too often in the last few days- a foregone conclusion. He lifts his eyes from the water, meeting Dream's gaze once again. With a jolt, Tubbo realises the green clad figure was now directly in front of him. Tubbo hadn't even heard him move.

The smiling orb is too close for comfort, and Tubbo takes a step backwards only to lose his balance. A gloved hand catches his, pulling him close as Dream grips his hand harder.

"Then it's a deal."

-----

Tommy stops mid-sentence as he feels the world shift.

"Techno." He staggers across the table, and the piglin in question reaches forward to steady him.

"Shit- shit shit shit- no- move back-" Technoblade hesitantly obliges, giving the boy space as he hovers nearby.

"Fuck."

The world shifts, and Tommy lets out a cry as the universe tears him at the seams, remaking him against his will.

When Tommy's mind returns to him, he finds himself sprawled across the table uncomfortably, Technoblades sword pointed at his throat.

"Have you always been able to do that?"

Ignoring Technos question, Tommy scrambles off the table, pitching for a moment as he misjudges the distance between tabletop and the floor.

"Shit. Shit. Who- who would he have swapped me with-" The crossbow hung on the wall shines, enchanted runes glinting in the setting sun. It still looks the same it did the day Techno used it to murder-

"Tubbo."

[end]

-----

:)

extra notes:

- it hasnt come up yet but in this au dream has different forms he can shift between! this is one of them vyugvjhvhjjh not quite classified as a shapeshifter but yknow.

- dream knows tommy is alive! hes looking for him :)

The fire’s crackle filled the silence, but it did nothing to warm the pit in Tommy’s stomach. Every second in the giant’s presence stretched on like an eternity. He wanted to leave. More than anything, he wanted to be back in his small, miserable room at the orphanage. He wanted the thin blanket, the peeling walls, even the sound of the other kids laughing without him. Anything but this cave. Anything but sitting a few feet away from something that could crush him like an insect.

His fingers itched toward his backpack. The knife was still inside. Tiny, useless. But it was something. He swallowed hard and whispered, more to himself than to the giant:

“…I should go.”

The giant’s head turned toward him, slow, deliberate. Tommy froze in place, the words dying in his throat

“You won’t last an hour out there,” giant said, his tone flat, almost bored.

Tommy’s pulse hammered. He’s keeping me here.

“…Then what do you want from me?”

His voice cracked, thin and sharp like breaking glass.For a moment, giant didn’t answer. The firelight carved shadows across his face, making him look more beast than man. Then, finally:

“Nothing.”

The word was so blunt, so cold, that it made Tommy’s chest tighten even more. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified. If the giant wanted nothing, then why save him? Why not just let him die on the lake?The question gnawed at him, and in his fear, it slipped out before he could stop it.

“…Then why did you help me?”

The silence that followed was worse than the blizzard outside. the giant's jaw clenched, his eyes flickering like storm clouds caught in the firelight.

“Don’t mistake mercy for kindness,” he muttered. “I don’t like humans. Least of all ones who wander where they shouldn’t.”

Tommy’s breath caught. The message was clear: You’re alive only because I let you be.His whole body trembled, cold sweat chilling his skin. Every instinct screamed at him to stay quiet, to not push further. But even through the fear, a tiny voice inside him wondered—if the giant truly hated people, if he truly wanted nothing from him—then why hadn’t he walked away when Tommy lay in the snow, helpless and alone?

Tommy waited until the giant looked away again, the giant’s attention drawn back to the flames. Every move he made felt dangerous, as if even the sound of his heartbeat might betray him.

Slowly, carefully, he shifted his backpack onto his lap. His fingers dug inside, brushing past the stale bread, the water flask, until they closed around the cold metal of the pocketknife. He slid it out, hidden beneath the fold of his sleeve. His pulse hammered so loud he was certain the giant would hear it. The knife looked pitifully small in his hand, the blade no longer than his palm. But gripping it made him feel less helpless—like maybe he had a chance.I just need to wait. Until he sleeps. Until he’s not watching.

Tommy forced himself to breathe slowly, though his chest wanted to heave in panic. The storm outside still howled through cracks in the stone, but in here, the fire’s glow made time stretch into something unbearable.

Every so often, he risked a glance at him. The giant wasn’t asleep—he doubted something that size ever truly rested—but his gaze was fixed on the fire, far away, like he was lost in thoughts Tommy couldn’t begin to imagine. Tommy tightened his grip on the knife. His plan wasn’t clear. He couldn’t fight this monster, not really. But maybe—if he moved quietly enough—he could slip out of the cave, disappear into the snow, and prove that he didn’t need saving. That he wasn’t just some helpless kid. The thought gave him a flicker of reckless courage. But then the giant’s voice cut through the silence, low and sharp, and Tommy nearly dropped the knife.

“If you try to run…”

The giant didn’t even look at him, still staring into the fire. His tone wasn’t angry, but flat, final.

“…the storm will finish what I didn’t.”

Tommy’s breath hitched. Did he know? Had he seen the knife? Or was he just reading him like an open book? Heat burned in Tommy’s cheeks—part shame, part defiance. He wanted to shout that he wasn’t afraid, that he’d take his chances. But the words stayed trapped behind his teeth.Instead, he curled tighter around the knife, hidden against his side. If the giant thought fear alone would keep him here, he was wrong. Tommy was going to find a way out.

his fingers were still wrapped around the pocketknife. He tried to make himself small, pressing his knees to his chest, but it didn’t help. The giant was too close, too enormous, too real.He could feel the heat from the fire on his face, but it did nothing to melt the cold creeping into his bones.

Every instinct screamed at him to run, but every glance at the giant’s massive form made him freeze again.I can do this. I just have to wait until he’s not looking…His mind raced, imagining the path out of the cave, the snow waiting outside, and the blizzard screaming across the frozen land. He could make it, couldn’t he? If he was careful. If he was fast enough. The knife in his hand felt heavier than it should, the metal cold and biting. Tommy gripped it tighter, letting the fear sharpen his focus. He didn’t know if it would help. Probably not. But at least it gave him something to hold onto. Something that made him feel less helpless.

the giant shifted, and Tommy’s heart jumped into his throat. The giant didn’t even glance at him, only moved his huge hand to adjust a log in the fire. But the motion was enough. Tommy’s stomach twisted into knots. He knows. He knows I’m thinking about running. He swallowed hard, trying to steady his trembling hands. I can’t just sit here. I can’t…But then the giant spoke, low and distant, and Tommy froze.

“Humans…” giant’s voice rumbled like distant thunder, “…always think they can escape.”

Tommy flinched. He wanted to say something—anything—but his throat was dry. His hands ached from holding the knife so tightly. He pressed his back against the rough wall of the cave, trying to make himself disappear into the shadows.

The plan was still there, burning in his mind: wait, wait, wait… and then run. Just run. But for now, he didn’t move. He couldn’t. Not yet. He stayed still, watching the giant, listening to the fire crackle, feeling the snowstorm outside like a distant roar. Every instinct screamed at him to leave, but the fear, the sheer size, the impossibility of fighting—kept him rooted to the ground.

And so he waited. Heart hammering. Knife clenched. Mind racing with every possible escape route. I’ll get out of here. I have to.

Tommy shifted slightly, testing the shadows, testing the firelight. Just enough to see if the giant would notice. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to stay frozen, but stubbornness—recklessness—won. He inched his hand a little closer to the knife in his lap, feeling the cold metal bite against his palm. I can do this. I just need a moment. The giant’s deep, rumbling voice broke the tense silence again.

“Don’t think you can sneak past me.”

Tommy froze mid-breath. He heard me think it…

“…I—I’m not…” he stammered, voice shaking.

“You are,” the giant said flatly.

Tommy swallowed hard. He gripped the knife tighter, imagining slipping past the giant, running into the storm outside. The idea made his chest pound with fear and excitement all at once.Just a little. Just a tiny step…He shifted one foot forward. The giant’s massive head tilted slightly, but it didn’t move closer. Tommy’s heart thundered.

“Careful,” the voice rumbled again. “One false move, and the cold will do what I do not.”

Tommy’s blood ran cold. The words weren’t a threat—they were a promise. But still, it gave him a strange focus. If the giant wouldn’t attack him, maybe he could… maybe he could slip out.He moved another inch, testing the distance to the cave’s edge.

The wind outside howled like a living thing, and he could see the storm pressing against the entrance, snow swirling in sheets. His hands shook, but he gritted his teeth.Just one more step… then the next…And as he moved, the giant shifted slightly too, the shadow of its enormous body stretching across the cave floor, reminding him again—he was not safe. Not yet. Not until he was outside, running, the blizzard swallowing him up. Tommy’s mind raced. Knife in hand, pulse pounding, he whispered to himself:

“…I’ll get out. I have to."

Tommy inched closer to the cave’s mouth. The snowstorm outside whipped at his face, biting at every exposed inch of skin. One step at a time, he felt like he was walking on a knife’s edge. The knife in his hand was useless, but it made him feel… alive. Ready. Dangerous. Not completely helpless.He glanced back at the giant. Techno had not moved, had not spoken, but his shadow stretched far across the cave, like a wall of darkness keeping him pinned. Tommy’s stomach twisted. I can do this. Just a few more steps…The wind howled louder. Snow whipped around the cave entrance, blinding him. He took another step… and then froze.A deep, low rumble rolled through the cave. Not from the storm. Not from the fire. From the giant.

“Stop.”

The word hit him like a punch. Tommy’s knees buckled, and he almost fell forward. His pulse thundered in his ears. The shadow shifted. Techno’s enormous hand, pale in the firelight, rested on the edge of the cave entrance. Not blocking it—just there. Watching. Waiting. Tommy swallowed. He wanted to speak, to beg, to make some kind of deal, but no sound came. His hands shook so badly the knife rattled against the stone floor.

Tommy’s breath caught. Every instinct screamed at him to turn and run, but his legs refused. His heart screamed get out! while his mind screamed stay alive! He crouched, pressed flat against the ground, and whispered to himself:

"…I’ll get out. I have to…”

the giant's gaze didn’t leave him. The giant’s eyes were storm clouds, heavy and unmoving, but Tommy could swear—just for a second—he saw something else. Something almost… hesitant. He doesn’t like humans. He doesn’t even want me here.

But… he’s not letting me die out there. That thought made Tommy’s chest tighten, fear twisting with a strange, uncomfortable gratitude. He pressed forward another inch, tiny, careful… and the storm outside roared louder, almost as if daring him to try. Tommy gritted his teeth. Knife clenched. One more step…

The storm clawed at the entrance, pulling at him like icy fingers. Tommy clenched his jaw, about to bolt, when the giant finally moved.The sound was thunder—stone grinding, snow shifting. In the span of a heartbeat, that massive shadow rose and loomed, and before Tommy could scream, two enormous hands reached forward.

He staggered back, knife raised, heart exploding in his chest—too slow.Techno’s hands closed around him. Not crushing. Not breaking. Just… holding. Tommy’s world shrank into a cage of pale, calloused palms, as wide as shields and warm like a furnace. He kicked, thrashed, clawed at the fingers, voice cracking.

“Let me go! LET ME GO!”

His knife scraped uselessly against the giant’s skin. The blade that could cut bread and rope barely scratched.The giant lifted him with terrifying ease. Tommy dangled helplessly, chest heaving, staring up into those storm-dark eyes. His pulse hammered so violently he thought his ribs would snap.

“Calm down”

The word was soft—softer than before—but still carried the weight of an avalanche. Tommy shook his head, tears freezing at the corners of his lashes.

“D-Don’t… please— I’ll leave, I swear, I won’t—”

His voice cracked into a sob.But Techno didn’t tighten his grip. Didn’t hurt him. The hands simply held him steady, keeping him from bolting into the storm. For the first time, Tommy realized—his body wasn’t freezing anymore. The warmth radiating from the giant’s skin seeped through his clothes, chased away the ache in his bones. Still, his mind screamed, monster monster monster.

He thrashed harder, though his strength was draining fast. The storm outside howled. The fire behind them hissed and spat.And still the giant watched him. Silent. Patient.Tommy couldn’t decide what was worse—the fear of being crushed, or the unbearable thought that this monster wasn’t crushing him at all.

Suddenly a loud thunder was heard, rattling the cave like a beast trying to claw its way inside. Tommy’s chest hitched, knife gone, strength gone, only terror left. The giant shifted again. He lowered Tommy from his hand— but not to the ground. Instead, the world tilted, and Tommy landed against something heavy and coarse. A cloak. Thick, wolf-pelted, spread across the stone floor.

Before Tommy could scramble up, the shadow moved again. A hand—huge, terrifying—pulled part of the cloak over him like a blanket. Tommy froze. His heart slammed against his ribs, his breaths sharp and ragged. He kicked once, twice, but the weight of the fabric pressed him down like iron. He wasn’t trapped—he could crawl out—but the gesture itself pinned him harder than chains. The giant leaned back, silent, his massive form retreating toward the fire’s glow. For a heartbeat, Tommy thought it was over.

"Stay"

Tommy bit his lip hard enough to taste blood. He wanted to scream, to tell him he wasn’t some pet to be ordered around, but the sound died in his throat. He drew his knees to his chest under the heavy cloak, trembling. The fire crackled. The storm screamed. And all the while, the giant sat there, unmoving, a dark silhouette against the flames. Watching. Waiting. Tommy buried his face into the rough fabric, his fists shaking. I’m not safe. I’m not free. I’m still gonna get out… somehow.

But for now—he couldn’t move.

------------------------------------------------------

When Tommy opened his eyes, the world was pale. The storm’s roar had faded to silence, muffled under a thick blanket of snow outside. Sunlight poured into the cave mouth in cold beams, painting the ground in silver. His body ached, stiff and sore, but… warm. Warmer than it had any right to be. Then he noticed why.

The heavy cloak was still draped across him, smelling of leather, iron, and smoke. For a dizzy second, he thought of home, of stolen quilts back in the orphanage. But the moment shattered when he remembered whose cloak this was. His chest tightened. Slowly, heart hammering, he turned his head. The giant was there. Sitting against the stone wall, massive shoulders hunched, weapons leaning at his side. His eyes were half-lidded but open—watching, always watching.

Tommy’s stomach dropped. Every inch of him screamed to crawl out from under the cloak and run, but his limbs stayed stiff. He shifted slightly, trying to slip free without drawing attention

“Don’t.”

The voice was quieter now, rough with morning, but it still made Tommy flinch so hard his teeth clicked.His throat burned. He shoved the cloak off his chest, glaring despite the tremor in his hands.

“You— you can’t just— just keep me here! I didn’t ask for this!”

The giant tilted his head, slow and deliberate, like a wolf humoring a yapping pup.

“Would be dead,”

he rumbled. Tommy’s face went hot, shame and anger tangling in his chest.

“I don’t care! I don’t need you to— to save me! I’m not some— some charity case!”

Outside, the first flakes of snow were slowly falling on the city, Christmas was approaching and the markets were flowed, and the Christmas spirit of the city was reviving. by evening there was already a pile of snow and it didn't look like it would stop reducing at all. In the orphanage on the outskirts of the city, the children and teachers were also preparing for the approaching Christmas.

Everyone helped to decorate, take care and clean. Only Tommy was locked in his room. Alone. Alone in his dark room, only the moon shone through the window through the holey blinds. He sat on his bed and stared at the slowly falling snowflakes outside the window.

After a while, his gaze wandered to the holey plot of land behind which stretched a gigantic forest. Everyone knew there was something living in that forest….something that shouldn't be there. And everyone who ever dared to set foot there never came back. And this fascinated Tommy. He would have amazing adventures! Tommy may have been a stupid teenager, but he wasn't stupid enough not to know that no one would miss him anyway if he left. Everyone would just shrug their shoulders and live their lives.

He wanted to run away for a long time, but never had much courage to do so…..until now. Now he knew he was ready.He took his backpack with food, water and spare clothes. He put on a warm sweatshirt and jacket, took a scarf with a hat and gloves. He hooked his pocketknife to his belt and opened the window. Before jumping up, he took a deep breath and took one last look around his room. He sighed and jumped.

It wasn't very high and he fell into the freshly fallen snow below, so he took the fall without any difficulty. He got up and walked briskly towards the leaky fence.

It was dark and quiet as he walked into the dark forest along a well-trodden path.

Something snapped behind him. He turned sharply and…..didn't see anything. He stared into the darkness behind him for a moment, but try as he might, he couldn't see anything. He was beginning to regret not taking a flashlight or some other source of light with him. He moved on. The further he went, the more it seemed to him that the trees and his entire surroundings were somehow getting bigger. And it began to snow even more, until he could soon mistake it for a snowstorm. He was cold. He didn't know where to go and he was afraid. He was afraid of those legends. Tommy sighed.

He heard a crack behind him again. He turned around and nothing. There was nothing there. Tommy quickened his pace a little. The cracking was more frequent now.

Suddenly Tommy's feet slipped and he fell to the ground. He slipped on a frozen lake. He just lay there for a while, staring at the mountain, large snowflakes quickly covering him. And again he was snapped out of his thoughts, this time louder and closer. He shook off the flakes and slowly stood up so he wouldn't slip again. There was something there. He slowly began backing closer to the interior of the lake, the lake was huge. Something was moving there, among the huge trees and bushes, it wasn't much to see through the starting blizzard, but he knows what he saw. A huge figure. Giant….Tommy got scared. That was exactly what he wanted to avoid. He was starting to hyperventilate. He had nowhere to hide. Not even really run away. He was standing on the open plain of a frozen lake with no shelter. Surely it already knows where he is.