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There was a certain anxiety that came with being watched.
It was an emotion that Ranboo knew well, might even consider themself extra sensitive to, being what they were. Just having eyes on them was mildly uncomfortable, and it was made all the worse when Ranboo couldn't tell where it was coming from. So, when Phil invited Ranboo to live in the arctic commune with him and Techno, chunks away from anyone else, it brought almost a sense of relief after living so long in the heavily populated spaces of New L'Manberg.
Ranboo was able to come and go as they pleased without having to explain where they were off to or what they were doing unless they felt like talking about it. It was a level of freedom they couldn't ever remember experiencing, though they supposed that part at least wasn't that surprising. The most they really had to worry about was paying 'rent', or at least keeping themself in Techno's good graces, and maybe avoiding any main areas of the SMP for a few months after Doomsday.
It was nice. Really, really nice, actually.
Phil already seemed fond of them, for some reason, but also seemed more than happy to spend time in their company, and Ranboo had even managed to get Techno to like them. Or... at least they thought so. It was honestly kind of hard to tell. One, because Techno seemed to pride himself on not showing what he would describe weakness for people other than Phil (which, you know, Ranboo sort of understood. Kinda. They had been there when Tommy had rejoined New L'Manberg at least, and had seen Techno's face before he was forced to flee.) as well as some other... odd behaviors that Ranboo couldn't quite explain.
Like... Sometimes Techno would just kinda... stand there. Staring.
Which was enough in and of itself to get the hair on the back of their neck to stand on end, but he also seemed to do that to Phil too, when they were just out doing chores or maintenance, so maybe it was just a him-thing? It wasn't like Ranboo didn't know anything about getting lost in their own thoughts, and if everything said about Technoblade could be believed, Ranboo supposed it would make sense for him to have a lot to think about. Didn't mean it didn't scare the shit out of them though.
Ranboo giggled as they pushed a dog down off of them, filling their bowls with a nimbleness that had only come with months of practice and then brushing their clothes free of fur. Or as close as they could get it. They were an awkward height, but it at the very least meant that the dogs could only jump up to about their waist. If it had been Tubbo doing this, he would've been dogpiled in an instant. Heh, 'dogpiled,' he ought to save that one for later...
"AH!" Ranboo jumped almost a foot in the air, having caught Techno just... standing there, out of the corner of their eye. They swallowed nervously and straightened, anxiety getting the better of them as they attempted to muster up a smile, mind already racing over everything they might've done wrong. "Um, h-hi Techno?"
"Hey." He returned, both looking and sounding nonplussed. That was good at least, right?
"Did you...need anything?"
"Nah."
"Oh. Um, okay." They slowly turned, not quite sure what Techno was doing or what he wanted, but they resumed feeding the dogs, tail flicking anxiously behind them as they could still feel Techno just there, looking at them. They nearly jumped out of their skin again when one of the dogs playfully nipped their tail, but they made quick work of tying it around their waist to prevent it from becoming a new chew toy. And still Techno lingered in their periphery, making their shoulders hunch and their ears draw back. The silence between them suddenly felt awkward and oppressive, and they scrambled for anything to say. "Nice...weather we're having?"
"Sure."
"Oh...kay? Are- Are you sure you don't need anything, Techno?" Ranboo asked, because they had to at least check, right? What if this was some kind of weird test or something? Was this like a bit they didn't get, or a reference to something, maybe? Why was he just standing there, menacingly?
"Nah, nah, I'm good, man." Techno reassured yet again, not irritated, but Ranboo really didn't want to push their luck any more than they already had. "Phil left not too long ago, so..."
"Right." They said, as if Phil's absence explained anything. Maybe it did. Maybe there was some context there that Ranboo was missing. They were absolutely not about to ask what exactly that was though. Being stared at for a little bit wasn't so bad, and it definitely trumped whatever awkward interaction might've arisen from Ranboo pressing the point.
Better left where it was.
They just hoped it wasn't going to turn into an everyday thing.
It was somehow getting worse, and at this point Ranboo was hard pressed to believe this was anything but a prank of some kind.
Even if it was a little strange, because Techno had never seemed like the type to use one's hybrid traits against someone like this. He was more of a 'mock people by their inability to do basic tasks' kind guy, when he wasn't just making things up to tease people about. Maybe he just didn't realize how uncomfortable staring was for endermen? Which, Ranboo definitely couldn't blame him for, it wasn't like it was common knowledge, even if it felt like it was self-explanatory. But even if it felt more like just a discomfort to them rather than the rage-inducing death threat that it would be to full-fledged endermen, it still wasn't great to deal with on a near-constant basis.
The point was, if Ranboo wasn't the one to tell Techno that all his staring was making them uncomfortable, then he probably had no way of knowing otherwise.
The issue with that was actually telling him.
And, again, it was also somehow getting worse.
That one weird encounter seemed to have snowballed into something of an every other day kind of encounter, made worse by the fact that Techno didn't seem to be just staring at them, but following them around too. There were times when Ranboo would just turn and catch Techno lingering in the doorway, casually leaning against the frame instead of just looming like he had the first time, but there wasn't a lot Techno could do to make himself seem less intimidating, especially since Ranboo had seen with their own two eyes what Techno was capable of. And while it didn't seem like Techno was hanging around them with any ill intent, Ranboo also wasn't completely sure of that, because they didn't know what Techno was doing or why.
It was stressful to say the least.
So Ranboo tried to give him more gifts, offer to help more around the commune, anything to redirect... whatever this was away from them. But Techno seemed to have it all in hand, even while Phil had left on some trip a few days ago. In fact, strangely, Techno's following seemed to get even worse after Ranboo had given him a few gifts, if that was even possible.
It was driving Ranboo up the wall.
"You need any help with that?" Techno asked out of the blue, appearing right next to them as they attempted to do some of their own maintenance on their own bare-bones house, if it could even be called that. Shack might be better, if they were being honest, but they were never under any delusions about their building abilities. That was definitely more in Phil's department. "I'm no hermit, but I can at least do better than that man, c'mon. You're ruining my property value."
"Yeah, I know, my bad, my bad." They sigh, though it's lightened by a laugh. "I told you I wasn't any good at building, didn't I?"
"Well, yeah, but I didn't know it was this bad." Techno stressed with his own chuckle, and something in Ranboo relaxed a bit. At least he didn't seem angry. "Gods, it's almost as bad as Tommy's cobblestone- you know what? I take it back, there's nothing worse than those things."
"His builds might have walls but they're terrible walls."
"That's what I'm sayin'!"
They finish with only a light bit of back and forth, somehow the easiest conversation they'd had between the two of them about nothing at all, and it felt like a welcome reprieve from the past couple days. That was until Ranboo had finished with their side of the shack at about the same time Techno finished his, and when Ranboo turned to wander off and do the rest of their chores, they could feel Technoblade following closely behind them.
Oh no.
"C-can I help you, Techno?" They hedged, almost afraid to look back at him. Ranboo thought they were fine! Had they done something in the last couple of seconds to make Techno mad? It seemed unlikely, but also wasn't entirely out of the question either. Nothing was, it seemed. "D-did you need something, or...?"
"No?" He said, sounding about as confused as they did, and wow, okay. How did they respond to that???
"Oh, um, okay, I guess I just thought- I guess it doesn't really matter, um. Nevermind!" They forced themself to continue, still not quite able to make themself look back towards Technoblade again.
Cool, cool, cool. This was all totally fine.
"H-hey, Techno?" They started hesitantly, fidgeting with their pickaxe. They had been mining... Well, Ranboo had been mining, and Techno had, for some unexplained reason, just decided to join them down here. Gods only know why, but at least the constant act of actual mining spared them from his staring, at least for a while. Ranboo was just kinda wasting time, but Phil still hadn't come back yet, so it kinda made sense for Techno to be down here too, right? It still felt so weird though, even after all the staring he'd been doing the past week or so, which was what they kinda wanted to ask about, in this quiet lull between them.
They could at the very least try to ask, right? It wouldn't hurt anything, surely.
"M'yeah?" he said distractedly, elbow deep in his chest as he searched for something, and suddenly Ranboo couldn't help the guilt that prickled them at the thought of interrupting him. Techno wasn't even staring right now! What were they thinking?
"Uh... You know what? Never mind." they huffed nervously, verging on the edge of a warble. Techno looked up at them, and Ranboo caught his brow furrowing in obvious confusion before Ranboo hastily turned away, narrowly avoiding eye-contact. Gods, even after months of living here talking to Techno felt so stressful. Maybe they should just wait to talk to Phil first or something. Maybe they were just overthinking it all. It definitely would've been the first time. "J-just um, I haven't seen Phil in a while, I guess."
"Oh, yeah." Techno mercifully went back to rummaging around in his chests, allowing Ranboo to breathe for a second. "He went on a trip off-server, I think? Somethin' about bein' a simp for his lady friend or whatever, I wasn't really paying attention."
"Oh, yeah, yeah." Ranboo huffed a laugh. "That's nice though, I guess. He doesn't get to see her often, right?"
"Mmmm, nah, different work schedules, you know how it is." He withdrew a couple of sticks and some string from the chest. "Just sucks. It's fine though, he should be back in a couple of days, so I guess I'm stuck with you until then, huh?"
"Y-yeah, I guess so." It somehow felt the other way around, but they couldn't bring themself to point that out. Especially not as Techno reached out to wrap one arm around their shoulders, drawing a startled squeak from them. Oh Gods, this was it, this is where it all ended-
"Ahhhh, I'm just joking kid." Techno hummed, roughly ruffling their hair before releasing them. "I don't mind having you around. "'S kinda nice actually."
"O-oh? T-thank you, I think?" They respond, a little bewildered as wispy strands of their now-messy hair float into their face. They force themself to continue mining, not sure what else they could do, or how to respond to that.
So it was worse but also better, in a lot of strange ways.
Because while that staring definitely didn't get any easier to handle, Technoblade himself was slowly becoming a presence that Ranboo was becoming more and more comfortable with. He didn't often talk while he was following Ranboo around, but he would sometimes press a hand to their shoulder or back, and one early morning had even dipped his head low enough to press his snout against the crown of Ranboo's head as he passed, making them shiver down to their toes with a strange tingling warmth.
It was confusing. Especially since Ranboo still couldn't build up the courage to actually ask what this was all about, because what if Ranboo really did something to make Techno angry, no matter how unlikely that felt at this point? It might've already been a week, but they didn't know if they'd be able to handle that, after everything that Techno had semi-inadvertently done for them. They resigned themself about halfway through just to wait for Phil to get back, but it was becoming more and more tempting to just suck it up and rip the bandage off the longer Phil was gone.
Was it worth it? Their anxiety-riddled brain certainly didn't think so, but it could also just be one of those things that they were blowing waaaay out of proportion again. They paced the distance between their shack and Techno's house, trying to rid themself of their excess manic energy, only to stop short when they realized that Techno had tagged along at some point.
"Oh!" They yelped, jumping a bit. "Gods, I didn't see you there."
"Yeah, definitely didn't notice. My stealth is unmatched!" Techno barked a laugh, one large hand patting Ranboo's shoulder before he jabbed a thumb back towards his house. "Jus' lettin' you know Phil is here. The old man wanted me to invite you over for dinner."
"Oh! Uh..." They paused, looking towards the setting sun on the horizon. They were hungry, they realized. They hadn't even noticed how late it'd gotten. "Yeah, sure! Should I, like, bring something, or...?"
"Nah, just yourself is fine. C'mon, if we keep him waiting too long, he might die of old age before we get there."
Ranboo could already spot Phil leaning against the raining of the bridge connecting his and Techno's houses, and they waved at him, not able to help the smile that crossed their face as they did. As stressful as things had been with Techno for the past few days, it was still good to have Phil back in one piece. He was kind of a calm presence in contrast to everything else on the server, a welcome reprieve, especially in those early days of them trying to set themself up in the commune, afraid that one wrong step might be their last. It still kinda felt that way, but they knew that it was just their anxiety talking.
Probably, anyways.
"Welcome back Phil!" Ranboo greeted as they drew closer, and Phil flashed a bright smile their way before he turned to Techno, his expression shifting into something a little more mysterious.
"Been tailing 'em while I've been gone, mate?" Phil asked in a rather teasing tone, though Ranboo assumed it was some kind of inside joke between him and Techno, because Ranboo had no idea what that meant.
Their conclusions were reinforced when Techno ducked his head in what seemed like embarrassment as he shuffled into his house, followed closely by Phil for a change.
"Don't know what you're talkin' about, old man." Techno sniffed and he hung his thick red cape on the coat rack by the door, sweeping both Phil's and Ranboo's off their shoulders as they entered. The house was cozy and cluttered, smelling heavily of pine and woodsmoke, and also Steve, who was napping peacefully in front of the fireplace. Ranboo sighed pleasantly, allowing themself to relax in the warmth and safety of Techno's home, way warmer than their shack had any hope of getting. "I have definitely not been tailin' Phil, wha- where'd you even get such a crazy idea?"
"Tailing?" Ranboo asked hesitantly, not sure if they were even allowed to ask.
Techno stiffened for a moment, very purposefully not making eye contact with Ranboo, which felt strange after so many days of just staring. Ranboo snuck a glance at Phil, who was smiling smugly at Techno, before he looked over at Ranboo. They felt a little wary of Phil when he looked like that, but they also believed they would be a fool to not be at least a little nervous at the sight of Phil's mischievous grin. He leaned against the table on his elbows, windswept blonde hair brushing the line of his jaw.
"Yeah, Tailin'. You know, the following-around thing he's probably been doin' the whole time I've been gone."
"Not the whole time." Techno protested weakly, before straightening and pointing an accusatory finger at Phil. "Wait a minute- did you know this was going to happen?"
"Don't know what you mean, mate." Phil's smile somehow widened a bit as he stared back at Techno before turning back to where Ranboo still stood, a little frozen in the face of their interactions with each other. 'Following-around thing?' So, was it a prank then? Why did Techno seem so embarrassed by it though? They shook their head, trying to reorient they're thoughts. "Some bonding time never hurt anybody-"
"That's just factually incorrect, Phil"
"- And it wasn't like they were going to pull a Tommy and go ransacking all your stuff, right?" Phil directed a raised brow towards Ranboo, who immediately and frantically shook their head.
"No, no, of course not I wouldn't dare." They insisted nervously hands raised as if they could shoo away the implications of them, Ranboo Beloved, actually stealing from Technoblade. Yeah, no way, they liked their head where it was thanks, and they sincerely doubted they had Tommy's strange natural ability to get on people's good sides. "But, um... So, was the following-me-around thing like a prank, or....?"
Techno hesitated again, face scrunched up like he'd just eaten something disgusting, but he deflated with a sigh when Phil gave him a playful nudge.
"Nah, it's more like... a piglin thing, I guess?"
"You guess?" Phil prodded with a smile.
"Okay, okay, Gods, you really are an old man, Phil, jeez-" He continued over Phil's indignant squawk, though it was clear by... everything that he was attempting to seem casual. "So, it's a piglin thing, and it's kinda just like... I don't know, wantin' to hang out with a person or something, it's not that big a deal, It's not like we're friends or anythin'-"
"He only does it to people he does consider his friends, though." Phil laughed, having cut Techno off by smacking his face with one out-stretched wing. "So, I'd take it as a compliment, mate."
"Phil, my reputation, nooooo!" Techno whined as he pulled the wing away from his face, head tipped back in exaggerated agony. "He's lyin' Ranboo, you got to believe me, my image will never recover-"
Phil was laughing along with his dramatics, and Ranboo couldn't help but smile, but they were also mildy overcome with relief too. They hadn't done anything to make Techno mad, and it hadn't even been them to bring it up! A double win! But even then, their anxiety was getting the better of them, and surely it couldn't hurt just to double check, right?
"So, just to like, make sure we're all on the same page, and everything, um-" They hesitated, but Techno and Phil's expressions were both easy-going and open, so they took a breath to steel themself an pushed on. "You- You're not mad at me then, right?"
Techno's face went blank, and Phil's melted into something pitying and they immediately panicked.
"I! I-it's just, you know, I wasn't sure if it was because I did something wrong, or if I said something, or maybe if you were just getting tired of m- Oh!" They were cut off as Techno suddenly swept them up into a hug, the warmth of his unnaturally heated skin soaking them down to the bone, and they couldn't help the little contented mrrp that slipped out as they instinctively melted into it a bit. Wow, this was nice. Way nicer than they'd been expecting. Even if they were still a little confused. "Um, Techno?"
"I- Gods, I'm not good at this, okay, but I'm not mad at you Ranboo." he said, and his voice rumbled in his chest where Ranboo was pressing and ear to and that was nice too, in a weird way. "Believe me, you'd know it if I was mad at you."
"I- ah, okay." They squeaked, hesitantly curling their claws into the worn-soft fabric of Techno’s shirt.
"Besides, you don't have to worry about me bothering you so much now that Phils' back." Techno said, drawing back a bit.
"...I mean, I didn't mind you, you know, following me around and stuff." They offered nervously, ducking their head, though they couldn't help but add. "Just- maybe don't stare at me so much? I just- enderman, you know?"
"Oh, that's my bad." Techno said apologetically, sucking a breath through his teeth. "Yeah, no, I can definitely do that."
"Gods, you both are the biggest messes I've ever met." Phil observed idly, having already seated himself at the table with a cup of tea in his hands. "Looks like my plan worked though."
"Shaddup." Techno grumbled, pulling away from Ranboo, though not before ruffling their hair again, and they couldn't help the giggle that bubbled out of them.
It was nice here, with them. Really, really nice, actually.
They hoped that didn't ever change.