#uncle techno

@peerpressureweek DAY 7 WE DID IT

Techno was used to Ranboo coming into his house without knocking. It just wasn’t a sustainable practice, seeing as only a small handful of people lived out this far, and Ranboo needed frequent access to Techno’s basement for glass. Techno was pretty much used to it by now, his ear and sometimes his dogs twitching in Ranboo’s direction before laying back down, but that was usually while the sun was up. The birdS would typically be singing. Ranboo did not often careen through Techno’s door mid-blizzard, wind howling and bundle clutched close to his chest.

“Ranboo?” Techno asked as he staggered backwards, using his shoulder blades to slam the door shut. This put distance between himself and Techno’s other guest, “Tubbo?”

“Hiiii, Technoblade! Sorry to barge in like this?” Tubbo tried. The two were still awkward around each other, despite their stint as The Revengers, living right next to each other, and Ranboo’s revival.

“Yeah, no, welcome. Make yourselves at home. In my home. Which is, notably, not your own?”

“Furnace went out,” Ranboo muttered by way of explanation, setting his bundle down in front of Techno’s fireplace, nudging Steve over with a foot. “I would be fine, but Tubbo and Michael are warm blooded.”

“True,” Technoblade intoned, watching Ranboo half-unswaddle Michael so he could get a little more direct firelight. “And you picked my house?” Wait, no, that sounded wrong, “Not that I’m complainin’! Not that I am complainin’, you know I’m always happy to have you—all three of you—but, you know, Phil is also right here and Connor’s closer to you.”

Tubbo snorted. “Connor is going to freeze to death. I don’t know how he hasn’t yet.”

Techno once again declined to bring up the fact that Connor was already a ghost. “That’s fair. That’s fair. He doesn’t get a lot of uhhhh, yeah, yeah, probably not his house then.”

Ranboo shrugged. “I just knew we needed to go somewhere warm and this was the first place I thought of.”

He was a little different, since coming back. Less shy, maybe, or it could be that he was just more inclined to say the things he was feeling without worrying about other people’s reactions. In this situation, the fact that Ranboo thinkin’ of Techno first totally and definitely didn’t warm his heart at all. Did not warm his heart at! All!

“Yeah, well, you’re welcome to stay until the storm blows over. I was just about to head to bed.”

“Right. Should we, uh,” Tubbo looked around the room. Techno’s couch was nice, but hardly big enough to fit two people and a toddler.

“You can join me in the bed. It should be big enough for all of us.” Techno had built it the same day he’d rescued Phil from house arrest, the man’s impressive wingspan requiring a larger bed than most and the fact that the two of them needed to share (at least until Phil’s own house was built) meaning that Techno’s previous bed had been nowhere near large enough. Even after Phil had moved out into a home of his own, Techno had been too lazy to switch the bed back, so now he had a small kingdom’s worth of mattressed land ready for use. Plus, Ranboo was skinny and Michael was a baby, how much room could the three of them possibly take up?

“Up!” Michael demanded, facing Techno and not, you know, one of his dads. Techno grumbled something that probably wouldn't have saved his reputation even if they had heard it, and picked up the bundle of babyboy and blankets. Michael made a happy and altogether too high pitched noise, very close to Techno’s ear, mind you, and Techno grumbled again.

“Alright, bedtime for the children in my house.”

“We are both adults.”

“Sure, Ranboo, up you go.”

The big bed did in fact fit them all, Techno with his back to the wall and Michael happily snuggled up in the middle. Techno tried to find a good place for his arms that didn’t wind up draped on top of the small child. He had big arms! What if he crushed the kid!! Michael was so small, Technoblade wasn’t used to small creatures. What if his arm was heavy enough he crushed Michael’s little chest underneath the weight of it and his pupil’s kid died?

Tubbo, fortunately, did not share Techno’s hangups, bundling Michael close to his chest, and Ranboo’s arms twined around Tubbo, staring at Techno from over the young man’s hair.

Techno squinted at him.

Ranboo seemed only more amused.

Techno huffed. “You tell me what to do with my arms then.”

Ranboo laughed, and while he was definitely laughing at Techno, it didn’t feel mean. “He’s a kid, not honeycomb. You can snuggle him,” Ranboo allowed, and Techno snorted again. But, delicately, he rested one big hand on top of Michael’s little hip, and the snoozing child gave a happy little chuff that made Techno’s stomach flip flop about.

“There, see? You didn’t even break him.”

“Sarcasm from my own pupil. From my own pupil! I can’t believe this.”

It got a small, sweet laugh from Tubbo, and Techno did not feel hopeful and soft at that, either. Any accusations or lies leveled against his emotional state would be dealt with via duel to the death. Ranboo nuzzled against his husband’s hair.

Tubbo drifted off next, and Techno was fairly surprised at that, given how highstrung and paranoid the guy was. It was either a testament to just how tired he was, or that Techno had mended the bridge with him a little better than he’d thought.

“Thanks,” Ranboo murmured, quiet and soft into the night, low enough to not wake the others.

Techno made a soft grunt of his own, questioning.

Ranboo’s hand caressed his sleeping child, and then his spouse. “Trust doesn’t come easy to Tubbo.” Yeah. Techno knew that. “I rarely get to see him relax. It means something. So. Thanks.”

Techno really needed to stop underestimating Ranboo’s ability to touch his heart. Really. Just. Mmmmmm, sleep, not lookin’ at feelings head on, sleep time, goin’ to bed.

Michael: It's almost illegal, which makes it more fun!

- because of the whole zombie thing, part of his tongue is missing which is one reason he doesn't talk much

- Uncle Techno teaching him the basics of sword fighting and it gets more complicated and difficult as years wear on

- Uncle Tommy teaches him how to knit and plays with him

- Grandpa Philza takes him on trips (with Tubbo's permission)

- Uncle Wilbur isn't too fond of him at first but warms up to him and ends up spoiling him

- Aunt Eret typically co-babysits with Uncle Wilbur or Aunt Niki and makes Michael little trinkets and things, as well as a little bag to keep his things in

- Aunt Niki bakes him little treats and makes sure his bandages are on correctly

- Tubbo rocks him and sings to him until he falls asleep

- Uncle Wilbur does bedtime when Tubbo is out or tired

- Michael doesn't understand the concept of Ghostboo but doesn't call him Boo like he usually would

- Michael often draws pictures of his family and Tubbo hangs them all up on the walls

- Aimsey discovers Michael's room in the mansion and wonders why all the little drawings are all over the place

- Cousin Fundy never sticks around for long but always brings a gift for Michael

- Michael and Shroud are besties