After Techno texted Wilbur, he let Phil know that Wil would be joining them later on. Although Techno hated to admit it, he was actually thrilled to meet Philza, Wilbur, and Tommy in real life. It was still an unusual thing, though, seeing the people he considered family with his own eyes and not through a screen.

He wished he could be closer to them all the time because he missed them when they left.

It was too late or too early- either one would have been correct- for Techno to go to sleep, so he just focused on collecting his few things out of the hotel room so he could check out sooner. It was an hour's drive to Phil's house with the minimal traffic, then they would drive down to meet with Tommy and Wilbur.

A strange feeling of expectancy fluttered throughout Techno, and he grew even more restless, not bothering to take his time in packing up. A billion thoughts ran through his head as he reached the front desk to check out. He put his key up to the person at the desk, then instantly hurried out (he paid for his room the night before). Techno scanned the parking lot for the car of his Uber driver. After greeting the driver, he entered, hoping they would leave him alone and just drive.

~~~~~

Phil woke up that morning beaming and prepared for the day. It was only 5 AM, but he was leaving once Techno arrived. After all the many things that had happened, Philza would be glad to see his young friends. He didn't know how Wilbur was doing, but he assumed he was taking the situation a little hard. He and Tommy used to be so close- they all had. It was an awful feeling to be replaced, and Phil was sure that everyone was feeling a bit replaced after Tommy's partial resignation from Sleepy Boys Inc.

The trip would hopefully bring them all back together, especially since it was the first time Techno had come. Tommy always looked up to Technoblade, so maybe he'd be convinced to... What am I thinking? Phil rubbed his forehead. He should be glad for Tommy, not try to make him come back to them.

Still, the thought of losing Tommy was kind of scary. Philza had enjoyed his time with just Techno and Wilbur in Sleepy Boys Inc, but now that Tommy had become a part of their family, it hurt even more to see him drift away. A knock on the front door made Phil quicken his pace, and he got to the door, opening it. He was met with the back of Techno's head- that was almost hitting the top of the cover over the porch- as he stared at a dog across the street, but he turned his attention to Phil, and on seeing him, he smiled nervously. Techno's fingers messed with the strap of his bag.

"Hello, Philza Minecraft."

That made Phil chuckle as he was handed a bag from Kristen, and he grinned. "Hi, Techno!" (I didn't want to look up Technoblade's personal information to find his name, and I'm pretty sure he said he didn't like when his real name was used in these type of things anyway). Kristen waved at Techno, then mouthed a "bye" to Phil as the pair got in the car.

As soon as they were settled into the car, they backed out of the driveway in silence. Techno wanted so badly to make small-talk, but the only thing he could think of saying was, "You're driving on the wrong side of the road," but that was a pretty stale, overused joke. Luckily for him, Phil was better at making conversation.

"Did you want to listen to music? There's a cord for an iPhone if you want to set your phone up," he proposed, quickly nodding in the direction of the wire before looking at the road (keep your eyes on the road, folks).

Techno nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"What type of music do you listen to?" Phil asked, still keeping his eyes on the fricking road (Keep. Your eyes. On. The road. Please.).

"Uhh... I listen to a couple different genres," Techno responded, opening up YouTube.

"Is there a song you've been listening to lately that you like?"

"..." Techno wasn't sure if he wanted to share the song with him (though he had probably heard it before). He decided to take the risk. "Yeah, I'll play it."

https://youtu.be/WM7-PYtXtJM

The calm picking of a guitar filled the car as they both listened in silence.

I took my love, and I took it down.

Phil smiled sadly, knowing exactly what song it was. He'd heard it many times before.

Climbed a mountain, and I turned around.

The only one that they both could think about was Tommy. The song was so fitting for them all, and it had a somewhat rueful sound to it as it continued. As the chorus flourished, it made them both fill with an inscrutable heartache.

And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills,

'Til the landslide brought me down.

Oh, mirror in the sky,

What is love?

There had been so many times and so many hours spent by Tommy asking his friends what he could do to improve himself (mainly his content), and he would often reflect on those things himself, too. He was always appreciative of their help.

Can the child within my heart rise above?

Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?

Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Tommy always went to them for help, asking many questions. It was painful that he didn't want to or couldn't tell them how he was doing. It felt like he had died, though he hadn't. Techno inhaled at the start of the chorus, preparing himself.

Well, I've been 'fraid of changing,

'Cause I've built my life around you.

Phil could only imagine how those two lines made Techno feel because Tommy did build his life around him, and even though he was reluctant to join The Dream Team, he did, partly because Techno had pushed him to. One of the people who Tommy had modeled himself after was Technoblade, and he told everyone that. Phil glanced over at Techno, who was staring dismally down at his phone.

But time makes you bolder,

Before the next lines were sung, Phil knew he would have a hard time not crying.

Children get older

And I'm getting older, too.

Every time the chorus was repeated, it only made it harder to bear. When the song finally finished, Techno hid his face, looking out the window. They drove in silence a while longer, the wheels against the road being the only sound present.

"...That's a good song," Phil finally managed to choke out. Techno nodded his head, biting his fingernails.

-

The pair got closer to the meetup spot, and Phil pulled over to the side of the road to send a text saying they were getting near (notice how he pulled over before taking out his phone).

"I'm going to text Tommy's father to ask him what the best time to come by," Phil explained, sending the message. Techno just nodded his head tightly, still gazing out the window.

"...I miss him too," Phil eventually managed to say, patting Techno's shoulder.

A message pinged on his phone, and Philza had to read it over at least three times. Techno dared to glance over at Phil. He didn't like the horrified expression on Phil's face.

"What?"

"T-" Phil looked slowly over to Techno. "Tommy's in the hospital."

~~~~~

It was crazy how long it felt that Wilbur was anticipating the meetup for such a short amount of time he had known about it. He thanked the sun for rising and spreading its beautiful golden rays (the same color as Tommy's blonde hair) across the room. As soon as the clock hit 8 AM, Wilbur started packing his things in the car, not bothering to eat a large breakfast. He had a box of crackers in the car to snack on, and then he'd take his friends out for a nice lunch afterward. He couldn't wait to see Tommy's beaming smile or Techno's eminent face.

He texted Techno, asking where they were at. Wilbur's eyes widened with panic as he read the message.

__________________________________

Techno: The hospital.

Wilbur: What!?

Why?

Is everything alright?

Techno: Phil and I are fine.

It's Tommy.

__________________________________