You'd think with Phil being back, it'd be great news.

Rejoicing all around, for our favorite old man is once again apart of the odd band of people living under this household roof.

However- Techno was- avoidant.

For a number of reasons.

And more so avoidant of Phil when... you were in the room.

Every time he so much as said something to you in passing, Phil would shoot him this... look.

This- smug cat that got the canary look- and he mildly knew why, but he also hated the way it made him self aware.

Wake up in the morning, idling his way downstairs, find you sorting through some fancy pebbles, and his first action is to pinch your elbow-

Affection.

At least, Techno thinks it's affectionate. Recently he just... been doing things without thinking.

More so, touching you without thinking.

Bopping you on the noggin, tapping your knuckles, leaning on you-

All things where he doesn't realize he's doing it- and then-

And then that crazy old man leans into peripheral and smiles, and it has Techno reeling back into his own personal space.

He's never been so... not in his own body before.

And Phil makes him aware of that.

Which is why when he wakes up, you tucked into his side without a care in the world, he forces himself to think third person before getting all...

Mushy.

Cuddly.

Weird.

His first instinct was to just grab you- pull you tighter against him and sink into a big ball of sleep, pelts, and warmth.

But no.

He had plans.

He had things in motion, and he needed to work on those things more then he needed to... be here.

With you.

He pursed his lips, feeling the voices start acting up- stray thoughts inter weaving with everything the voices had to say.

Hug buddy this, hug buddy that- touch skin this- cuddle that-

His eyes flickered to your lips for just a moment before be shot out of bed as quietly and softly as possible.

Downstairs...!

Downstairs.

You were dangerous.

He crawled down, house warm with fire, but windows dark without the sun up yet.

With Phil here, the fire never goes out. Considering the old man sleeps by the fire, it's incredibly easy to throw logs on.

Techno steps into the room, seeing Phil's sleeping form sprawled out in front of the fire.

His wings are stretched out, feathers gently brushing the edges of the room.

Techno takes it upon himself to start prepping ingredients, make some kind of breakfast for him and Phil. And you.

And maybe Tommy.

Whatever.

He'd have to wake Tommy up.

Daily chores.

As he's digging through the chest for food supplies, a small amount of shuffling occurs near the fire, and before he knows it a voice softly calls.

"Morning mate-" comes Phil's tired voice, followed by a whining yawn.

Techno glances back at the man, seeing him stretch out before calling back to him, "Hallloooo...." Techno waits until he's finished stretching to continue, "I didn't wake you did I?"

Phil hums and shakes his head no, sitting up and wiggling his wings around, "Nope. Natural awakening over here."

"Good." Techno grunts, turning back around to sort through some eggs he traded awhile back.

Technos ears flicked, hearing Phil toss another log on. The crackle of fire flickers for a moment, adjusting to the added wood and the light dances across the room.

Gathering everything up, Techno walks to the furnace, sorting things properly and starting the furnace up.

"It's very homey with everyone here, huh." Phil says, still perched by the fire.

"Yeah." Techno says, "You'll enjoy it more once you get your house set up."

"Haha, yeah." Phil replies.

And the atmosphere changes.

Techno doesn't know how he knows.

Or what kind of energy radiates off of Phil, but without even looking Techno can feel something radiate off the winged man.

Techno deadpans.

So help him.

If he turns around and Phil is smirking at him with that condescending smile.

Techno glances and frowns at Phil, who sure enough, and smiling at him with that look.

"I bet you enjoy it way more then I do though." Phil says.

"Um." Techno dryly says, "I enjoy living yes. And I enjoy living with people who I trust, so yeah."

Phil rolls his eyes, "Especially with a snooze pal."

"Snooze pal....?"

"I want the tea-" Phil grins, "Give me your tea Techno-"

"I'm.... out of tea...?" Techno says, pulling himself backwards like that will help him see the situation.

Even though, Techno knows exactly what Phil is trying to dig into.

"Technoooo-" Phil irritatedly groans.

"Philllza....?" Techno calls back.

"I just wanna know mate. Is- are you guys a thing?" Phil fully turns around, still sitting in the floor, "I'm genuinly confused-"

Techno can feel the heat on his face, though he trys to remain stoic.

Phil grin perks back up as he makes his own assumptions.

His ears feel hot.

"Haha! Mate- you-" Phil cackles, "Okay, so what I'm assuming is, you guys aren't together, yet you," Phil held up all his fingers and start lowering them as he listed things, "Sleep in the same bed, Hug each other, give each other gifts all the time, openly flirt in front of everyone-" Phil pauses, "Shall I continue? Or will you give me the tea I am demanding?"

It's too hot in the room.

Techno goes straight to the window, unlatching it and opening it, throwing his upper body out and soaking up the cold air.

A few caw noises sound before he feels a few crows land on his back, hopping around before fluttering inside.

Behind him Phil is cackling wildly, moving around and walking towards Techno's limp hanging form.

"Tech- mate- no- you're letting the crows in-" Phil drags him back inside, but doesn't have the strength to set Techno on his feet, so his limp body is just laying on the floor, "Techno, buddy you don't need to get so embarrassed- it's a nice thing to have in your life. And I'm not judging, cause you know what my love life is like."

Techno groans, "Phil- Phil if you keep talking I'm going to kick your old man body outside-"

"This old man body can take you in any fight and you know that."

"I hate that you're partially correct."

A few more cackles are let out, and Techno finally rolls over staring up at the ceiling before looking to Phil standing above him with his smug smile.

The unspoken question is there.

And Techno groans again before rubbing his hand down his face, "It's...." Techno slids both hands onto his face and just rests them there, "It's complicated-"

Phil plops down next to Techno cross legged.

Phil has time.

"I hate the fact that I could get convinced to do anything. It's too much power over my head."

Phil laughs, watching a crow hop on Techno's chest as though it too was listening intently.

But that was it.

Techno didn't farther elaborate, or farther explain, merely laying on the floor, his arms now resting over his face as he sat in shame.

"If... you got to asked kill me, would you?"

Techno bites his lip, peeling his arms off his head enough to look at Phil. The red of his eyes are intense.

"I...." his eyes flicker to Phil's hands before back to his eyes, "I genuinely can't answer that."

"Damn son- you're got good." Phil squints at him.

Techno groans and recovers his face with his arms.

"I hate being so.... mushy." Techno grunts, "I think I get it from my dad."

"Adopted or biological?" Phil squints, "Because either way works."

"I know- You're both saps." Techno laughs, "Big stupid saps that do all that dumb emotional jigsaw solving."

Phil cackles again, "To be fair, and don't take this the wrong way, if Kristen asked me to kill you, I would oblige. So we're both got good."

Techno grunts in acknowledgement. He already knows that.

"Yeah... but your situation is different." Techno squints at him, pulling himself off the floor to sit cross legged at Phil, "You're like, contractually obligated to comply-"

"Pfft- yeah, but contractually or not-"

"Wow. What a great friend." Techno deapans at Phil.

"A better lover-" Phil snarks, before poking Techno in the abs, "Which I think is another thing you pick up from your old man."

"Puh- lease Phil. My mind would have developed this way regardless of your influence, I'm incredibly independent. And gain many of my personality traits from genetics as opposed to environments."

"Rawr- just born wild like that-" Phil cackles, wiggling around when Techno trys to punch him.

"You sarcastic old man-"

"Respect your elders son-"

"I defy all authority and you know this." Techno grunts.

Phil laughs before looking him in the eyes and saying, "Okay, so, I'm glad you're not as oblivious as you make yourself seem to be."

Techno grunts, unhappy with the swing back to their original conversation.

"Cause I kinda thought you were unaware." Phil finishes.

"I wish I was unaware." Techno frowns.

"It wouldn't be fun if you both were unaware." Phil rolls his eyes, "The person of your interest is, as far as I've observed, completely oblivious to most, if not all of your wooing tactics."

"Wooing??" Techno clenches his teeth and points a finger, "I do not-"

"Yes, you do-" Phil grins, "Pelts...? Everywhere??"

Techno flinches at the looks Phil fixes him, "Do you know nothing about your psychology and biology?"

"I am very aware of both respective subjects."

"Technoblade. You're a piglin hybrid- do you know what piglins do when they are attempting to convince a potential mate to stay with them??"

Techno clicks it together before Phil confirms it, but Phil still says it, "They give them pelts, to show them how reliable they can be to provide a safe place."

Techno isn't even looking at Phil anymore.

"Lemme guess you 'just wanted to make the place more comfortable'"

Techno seriously isn't looking anymore.

He did 'want to make you more comfortable.'

You get so cold.

And...

You need to.

Be comfortable.

Techno huffs, "Okay so I do one thing."

Phil gives him a blank look.

"Okay maybe I do some other things! But I'm not... wooing anyone."

"Because who you're wooing is denser then you."

Techno squints at Phil, and Phil squints right back before cackling.

"Come on Tech- you gotta step up your game."

"I will do no such thing. Because, no such thing ever needs to happen."

"Uh huh."

Techno throws another hapless punch at Phil, who ducks it and goes to say something else, before the upstairs floor creaks, and they both pause.

"Awakeneth your snooze pal has." Phil croans.

"Shush, you have memory issues, let me lay you down for bed." Techno puts his entire hand on Phil's face- who immediately bitch slaps him in retaliation.

Techno doesn't flinch, keeping his hand locked on Phil's face as the winged man wriggles around to break free.

The ladder creaks and he can tell you've set foot in the room.

"Heyyyy guys. Mornin." You say, and Techno looks over to catch sight of you, clothing all kinds of wrinkled, a larger pelt wrapped around your shoulders as you moneyed farther into the room, "I'm not even gonna ask."

"Morniinnnn..." Techno calls back, eyes locked on you until you sit down near the fire.

Abruptly Techno remembers what he was doing, glancing at Phil, who was already staring at him with that smirk of his, having peeled Techno's hand off his face.

A few closed mouth laughs come from Phil before Techno is frowning and shoving his face back into the blonde's face.

Phil's muffled yells fill the air, wriggling around and fighting for freedom.

Techno is quick to relent when Phil kicks his jaw, and when Techno backs off, Phil is just cackling, flopping on his back and laying there.

"That's right. Now go make my breakfast."

Techno rolls his eyes, but is already standing up to do just that, "You're lucky I don't hurt the elderly."

"Your lucky I don't take matters into my own hands." Phil snarks.

When Techno flicks his head to stare at Phil, he's already moving away, trudging over to you and settling next to you to strike up conversation.

Good gods.

That old man was sprigh for how old he was.