Ever since Ghostbur tagged along for your village visit, he's been hanging around the cabin.

You don't see him the entire day, but in the five days that passed, you've seen him every single day.

Sometimes in the morning, sometimes briefly before night, and sometimes afternoon, but you've been catching him at all hours, and everytime you see him he's asking what next he can help with.

Prep this food? Of course.

Haul this wood? Sure.

Making dinner? I'm good at that.

You're going to bed? No problem, I'll keep the monsters away.

It's sweet, and you like the company. You especially like that he seems to like your company, always happy to tell you things and hear things in return.

Tommy's been briefly phasing in and out of the rooms, coming up to haul apples and steak back down to his lair.

He snarks at you when he does, and you snark back, but he doesn't stick around for company.

Today Phil was actually taking a moment to sort what all things he had gathered, hanging outside and carefully sifting through logs and concrete.

It was way too chilly and busy for you to be watching him.

Right now you've just started ingredient prep on dinner- pulling out the knives and the vegetables and laying them out on the crafting table.

Ghostbur was off near the fire, adding a few fresh logs in.

It was already natural for you to say the first thing that came to your head.

"You know- I'd like to get some sweet berries-" you chime, pulling out an arm full of potatoes and dropping them on the furnace that you commandeered as counter space.

One of them rolls off and you scoff at the inconvenience.

"Yeah?" Ghostbur hums, "Why sweet berries?"

"Well obviously I wanna make some sweet berry jam." You reply, reaching down and picking the potatoe up.

Maybe you weren't the best cook, but jam was something you could do. Back when you used to live alone you only really ate bread and drank nice hot drinks. Jam went well with bread.

You were a different person back then.

You were too busy ruminating in the past to do much else.

But now, staring down at the vegetables you were chopping, you feel you can take a deep breath.... and actually enjoy it. No looming weight.

"Mmmm- jjammm-" the ghost hums, shaking his head vigorously in a nod, "Sounds sugary- I can go find some if you'd like?"

You glance at the spirit. He was crouched by the fire still, hand holding a poker as he jabbed at the logs.

"Naww- you've been a good assistant, I'll find them when I get to it, don't need you going out of your way anymore then you have." You smile at him, squinting when he grinned at you and continued poking at the fire.

"Haha! But your fun to do things for." Ghostbur whines.

"Bro- Bur, I can't be that fun to do things for."

He mumbles something to himself and pokes the fire again.

"What was that?" You squint at him, "I couldn't hear you, speak up-"

"What? Nothing-" he smiles his naive happy smile, "I wasn't speaking."

A creaking noise stops all conversation.

A noise that sounds like the very distinct audio of someone pulling their weight off of the upstairs bed.

Techno?

You give a hopeful look up to the ceiling, then glance at Ghostbur who was still crouched by the fire.

He tilts his head at you and then also glances up when a few of the floorboards creak around.

Slow.

Slow creaks.

Like someone was dragging their feet, moseying from one spot to another and lingering in areas for far longer then needed.

"I think Techno's awake." You say, then smile at the thought of seeing his mug again.

From his tusked smile to a soft glint of his red eyes- your memory dragged up fond pictures of him in your head

Ghostbur is grinning, "I finally get to visit Technoblade!"

You let out a laugh, "Haha! Finally- he has such poor house manners. He's the host, yet he has yet to greet you."

"Good thing I'm a great guest-" Ghostbur cheekily says, moving to finally stand up.

You start to watch him hang the fire poker back up before a creak from the ladder pulls your attention elsewhere.

With a swivel of your head you watch a familiar burly figure slowly lower down the ladder.

The pink strands of his hair were askew in every direction, an absolute mess of bedhead and crinkles. It was fluffed out in all the most abdsurd ways.

You forgot how much that face meant to you. Forgot how much his presence made that warm fuzzy feeling in you bubble up.

You smile before he can even make his first gruff word.

With a blink and an absent-minded scratch of his hand across his stomach, uttered from his mouth is a soft, "....hulllooo...."

It was nearly a whisper, and it was more growl then actual voice

"Heyyy- Morning sleepyhead." You grin, eyes flickering between both his groggy, half closed ones, "I'm dinner prepping, but I suppose you're expecting breakfast."

He makes a snorting noise at you, not in amusement.

Just a snuff in your general direction.

You imagine he's groggy. And hungry. And probably thirsty.

Water.

Not that he didn't drink water, there were moments in the week where be would have just enough awareness to grab necessities- but then pass out as soon as he touched the bed again.

"Oh shit!" You smack your hand against your forehead, whipping around to look at Ghostbur, "I forgot to haul in some snow to boil for water-"

Ghostbur slams his hand into a salute, "Say no more!"

He makes an extravagant spin over to you, throwing two hands on either side of your cheeks before tugging your head closer to him and pressing an obnoxiously loud smooch onto the back of the crown of your head.

"Be right back-" He chirped, before spinning his way out the door.

You forgot that was also a new development.

Ghostbur seemed to decide you were the new family puppy, and had taken to showering you in random physical affection.

Random hugs, random head pats, random smooches to the top of your head.

It seemed to make him happy, so you just shrugged most of the time and continued about your day.

You watch the door close behind Ghostbur's exit.

Then shift your eyes two inches over to look at Techno.

His eyes, previously groggy, were blown open wide with surprise.

The both of you stared silently at each other, until you pointed the knife you were holding at him with a question.

"You thirsty?"

Techno blinks his wide eyes, still staring dumbstruck at you and watching as you pull the knife back to the vegetables you had been chopping.

You divert your gaze to focus on chopping, "You're prolly thirsty. Me and Ghostbur'll get you set up with some water."

You hear him shuffle where he's standing, and when you still don't get a reply back you look at his figure.

His head is turned towards the door and he's giving a hard stare at the spruce wood. Almost like he was staring through the door.

His ear flicks, and then he's turning back to stare at you.

"Tech- you good??" You question.

Silently he lumbers up to you, looming above you and squinting at the top of your head.

He looks so sleepy, with his heavy eyes and languid movements. Despite the tiredness, it was easy to tell he's getting more and more awake with each passing moment.

Eyes slowly loosing the grog, breathing picking up off the slow breaths into a more regular cycle.

The red fabric indent on his cheek from where he had been resting his head for who knows how long was telling.

You softly smile up at him, "You look sweepy." Then you reach a hand up, thumbing along the red mark on his cheek, following it up to his cheekbone and pausing as it forced him to close one of his drowsy eyes.

He leaned his cheek into your palm, hunching over you and giving you more leeway to smooth over whatever you wanted.

"Oh- someone's really eepy." You laugh, reaching your other hand up to grab the other side of his face. With that hand you chose to thumb over the scar that ran down his eye.

Both his eyes closed as he leaned his face into your hands.

Like a big sleepy cat.

You wondered if this is what he normally acted like after a brief hibernation.

Cute.

With a twitch of his ears, his eyes crack open and both red orbs are tilting as far to the right as they can, searching and landing on the spruce door.

The door opens.

Two red eyes are already fixed on who entered.

In strolls Ghostbur, pot full of snow and happy smile on his face, "I'm backkk!" He sing songs, kicking the door closed behind him and tromping over to you and Techno.

Techno completely puffs up, pulling his face out of your hands to angle his head at the spirit, hair on his head just about standing on end like a cat as he squints at Ghostbur.

"Where would you like the snow?" The ghost asks, glancing between the both of you with a happy-go-lucky smile.

"Just by the fire's fine Bur, I'll handle it so you don't get splashed."

"Okey-Dokey-" he wanders off to the fire and Techno watches him the whole way.

You tilt your head at Technoblade, "You okay bud? You seem kind of loopy?"

Techno snaps out of it, looking down at you with a neutral face, "Wha-... um yeah- I'm good..." He holds back a yawn by clenching his teeth, "Just- woke up so-"

"So you're sweepy."

"Yeah. Sleepy."

You lift a hand and poke the drool line on his chin, "You defintely had a good nap."

Techno snaps his teeth at your fingers, and laughs when you reel your hand away with a mock gasp.

"Rude!" You exclaim.

He snorks at you in amusement, using the back of his palm to wipe away at the residue drool on his face, "Wouldn't be the first time I bit you." His eyes dilate, and he leans in with a blank face, the intent to intimidate obvious.

Your cheeks burn for a moment and you quickly shove his face away, "Buddy- you were drugged the first time, you're conscious right now- there's a difference."

He scoffs, blandly rolling his eyes and glancing to Ghostbur, "So why's Ghostbur here?"

"To visit!" The ghost says, placing his hands on his hips and strolling over to the both of you.

His arms are quick to slide around your neck, hugging your head to his chest from behind with a cheeky little laugh, "Was here for you first, Technoblade, but then I decided I'd help my little friend out with some stuff to pass time."

You scoff as Ghostbur rests his chin atop your head, "I'm disappointed, only hanging out with me to see this big lug?" you gesture at Techno, "How will I live with this knowledge."

"Noooo-" Ghostbur pouts, "You're using my wording against me right now, I appreciate you just as much as Technoblade."

"Ppfft- alright then." You pat the bicep still wrapped around your neck, "Can you do some ingredient prep while I handle water?"

"Aye aye captain!" The ghost pulls away and scooches over to where you were previously setting ingredients up.

Techno's brows are furrowed as he gives you a strange look.

When you raise an eyebrow in question, Techno turns to send a squinted glance at Ghostbur.

The spirit is happily chopping at potatoes, none the wiser to any attention being placed on him.

A snuff comes out of Techno, and he's leaning closer into your personal bubble. He lifts his hand up to your head, padding over the back of your head, before snuffling again.

All of his fingers spread out, hand limping resting, just, setting his palm over your head.

You are confused, but also, his hand is warm so you aren't trying to question it.

Techno mumbles something, like he was talking to someone else.

He pauses, then leans in, bumping his head into yours with a gentle bonk

You squint at his eyes that flutter closed, "Techno....?"

He jolts, flinching where he stands and refocusing, pulling his head back to make eye contact with you.

"How long was I out?" He asks.

He proceeds to awkwardly pat the top of your head, before pulling his arm back to his side and completely leaning away.

"Sleeping. That is." He tacks on.

"Well- around a week and a half." You say.

"Jeez."

Techno is shuffling where he stood, eyeing the rest of the house, probably trying to gage what all has been moved around and what all needs work.

"You take care of the house all by yourself?" He finally asks, still eyeing everything.

"Well, yeah, for the most part; though, Ghostbur started helping- and Phil did some chores."

Techno scoffs, "Did that orphan help you at all?"

"Hah- no." You laugh.

Techno blows hot air out of his mouth, clearly disapointed, "Figures." Red eyes roll over to where Ghostbur is chopping ingredients, then looks down at the knife that's still in your hand from when you were prepping.

"Have you been cooking?" Techno asks suspiciously.

"Hah! No, I've been ingredient prepping, and Ghostbur's been cooking." You roll your eyes, "The salty soup taught me a lesson."

"Correction, salty concoction. Whatever you made was in no way a soup."

You point directly into Techno's face, "I will cry, do not force my hand."

"You can cry, I'm still making dinner."

Said with no remorse and the painfully monotone snark that is classically Techno's.

You can do nothing but stare dumbly at him as he smoothly glides his hand over yours, gently plucking the knife from your hand.

"But-"

"No buts. Go- hang out with Tommy, or something, take a breather."

His words leave you gaping up at him.

Two red eyes, firm in their insistence and utterly filled with a kind of warmth that seemed to say, 'let me care of this for you.'

Just woke up, hair an absolute mess, hasn't eaten or drank anything, and he's trying to pick up directly where he left off.

A smile slowly starts to form on your face, picking up the corners of your mouth and gently plucking at your little heart.

"But, I wanna hang out with you-"

Techno's eyes open just a little bit wider then they did a second ago. Still impassive looking, mouth still a straight line.

He dumbly says, "Oh."

A heat seems to pick up in his cheekbones, "I mean- if that's what you want to do-"

"Yeup." You nod.

Techno takes a moment longer to look at you. Then pulls himself together and starts shuffling around to fully see what all is set out with his obnoxiously messy hair.

You watch as he quickly takes mental tally of food and hops right in with where Ghostbur is at, who is happily and quietly humming to himself, completely engrossed in his work.

"So what's it like sleeping for a week straight?" You ask.

You listen as Techno answers, and silently to yourself. You think about how you wanted to brush through Techno's hair. Have him sit somewhere as you combed and brushed and braided.

Then you thought about how you could use a good chair. And a good table to sit at.

That way, when Techno was shuffling about with work as he was now, you could sit and properly converse with him.

That'd be your next goal.

.

.