Days had turned into weeks and weeks into months and months into years. It had been four since Phil had been given Tubbo, six months since the name of his youngest had been changed to "Tommy" due to both boys having a hard time with the long given name.

Phil smiled, he was enjoying the rare quiet, there wasn't much of that in this house anymore, Tommy was almost always yelling about something and annoying his older brothers. Tubbo was quieter, a good child, but he did join Tommy in his chaos sometimes, which didn't help with the noise levels in the house. Wilbur spent most of his time playing guitar, not well, but he tried. Phil could appreciate that he was trying. Technoblade... The half Piglin spent most of his time practicing fighting. Phil didn't really approve of how invested his eldest was in violence, but he was nine and it seemed to keep him calm. And so long as he wasn't hurting people Phil was content to supervise his son with the wooden sword.

Today however there was more chaos in the house than normal, the boys being confined to the house due to just how hot it was outside. Sure Technoblade and Wilbur could go out with no negative effects from the heat, due to their Piglin side, but the youngest two couldn't.

Being confined to the house wasn't what Techno wanted, he longed to be able to go out and continue to practice with his swordsmanship. But he also knew that the heat would probably lead to his youngest brothers being hurt, they didn't have his tough skin and heat resistance.

He grumbled to himself and flopped on his bed, listening to his younger brothers rant at each other, probably plotting something. Techno didn't really care, he was too distracted by a dull ache in his lower jaw. He reached one hand under his bed and pulled out a small gold nugget. It was the only thing he had from his old home, and the young boy just didn't want to get rid of it. He rolled it between his fingers, admiring how it shone.

It was common knowledge that Piglin's like gold, and the half-Piglin was no exception, he loved how cold it felt on his hands and how it seemed to glitter in the sun lit room. A smile grew on his lips. Piglins liked gold, and as much as Technoblade liked to deny it, he was still Piglin.

The boy's smile faded as he moved a hand to feel at his jaw. That ache was really starting to annoy him. Techno had a high pain tolerance, but this was just a constant dull ache, it wasn't too bad, so when he wasn't alone he could pretend to be fine, but now, on his own, with very little to distract him, the poor boy couldn't stop focusing on his jaw and how it ached. He wondered if it was related to being Piglin, he remembered that the adults had these big tusks. Technoblade had assumed that they were born with them and due to being half human he wouldn't grow those tusks. Perhaps the child had been mistaken, and now, at age nine, he was developing the tusks.

Technoblade shook his head, deciding it was best to not dwell on such things just yet. He would have more time until then.

As if he were some merciful god sent down to draw Technoblade from his thoughts Phil's yell echoed up the stairs and to the boys. Almost instantly he heard the familiar sound of running as his brothers raced each other down the stairs, Wilbur probably winning due to his advanced age and height.

Technoblade rolled off the bed and made his way downstairs, he didn't run anywhere like his brothers did, he just walked. Unlike the younger boys Technoblade didn't feel the need for such chaos himself, however the voices, they craved it, they longed for chaos and violence.

And blood.

They were always on about blood.

Technoblade hated it, they were just so. Damn. Loud. They never shut up, they only seemed to quiet down when he was practicing with the wooden sword. They only seemed content when he was learning to fight. Sure, he too loved the rush of power that holding the sword made him feel, he loved how it made him feel powerful and strong and like he was learning how to protect his brothers. But his love of learning to fight was nothing compared to the love that the voices had, theirs bordered on obsession, theirs was twisted and cruel, no noble goal to protect, they just wanted blood.

He shook his head as he trudged into the main room to find Tubbo standing there and staring up at him, those big blue eyes unblinking, their horizontal goat pupils gave his face a slightly vacant look, if you didn't know the boy you would guess he had nothing but the Mii theme playing behind those eyes constantly. Techno chuckled to himself at this thought.

"Daddy says that he made dinner." Tubbo said this with a smile, reaching a hand out toward his big brother. "So come on! We have to go before Tommy and Wil eat it all." The hand clenched the bottom of Techno's shirt and Tubbo began to try and lead his big brother into the kitchen, where the families table was located.

Oh gods, eating. The stupid ache in his jaw hadn't lessened so Techno was slightly dreading having to eat anything, afraid that it would change the ache from just a mildly irritating ache into full blown pain.

Techno chuckled and allowed his younger brother to lead him into the room. Once they were in Tubbo let go of Techno and ran to sit next to Tommy. Ugh, Techno was still upset that the boy's name had been changed, but so long as his little sibling was happy he guessed that was all that mattered.

Taking a seat next to his twin Techno took a moment to watch Phil finish the cooking, he had to admit to himself that Phil was a good cook, and he had hardly eaten today, electing to spend most of it sulking in his room over not being allowed outside.

Wilbur leaned over to his twin, a small smile on his face. "Why are you in a bad mood Techno? Someone take your gold?" His tone was teasing, but not exactly unkind.

Ah, brotherly love, how cruel it could be.

Techno grunted in response. "First of all I'm in a bad mood because I'm bored, secondly, don't act as if you don't like gold just as much as me." He turned his head to scowl at his brother. He wasn't lying when he said about Wilbur also liking the yellow metal, both boys chalked it up to some piglin thing.

"I guess, but even when you're bored you're not normally this grumpy." Wilbur seemed genuinely concerned for his brother. It was funny to him how quickly he and his twin could switch between getting upset at each other and teasing to being genuinely concerned for the other's wellbeing.

A sigh slipped through Technoblade's mouth. "I'll tell you after we've eaten, alright?" This caused Wilbur to nod, and was then almost instantly drawn into the weird conversation that his four-year-old brothers were having.

Techno began to zone out, it was probably the easiest way to get the voices to be quiet for some time. He let his imagination wander, not that his was particularly great, he mostly just imagined being side by side with his twin and father fighting off the monsters that roamed the dark.

He was pulled out this daydream by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to be met with the smiling face of his father. "Eat up Techno and maybe I'll let you go outside and practice for a bit, alright?"

This pulled Technoblade from his mood and he nodded enthusiastically, not missing the upset grumbles of Tommy and Tubbo, but Techno didn't really care, he might get to work off some of this energy he was filled with. Being inside all day may be better for his more human brothers, but for him, the heat of summer gave him far more energy and a longing to learn. He guessed it was related to how hot the nether was, Wilbur was slightly more energised today too, but he was content to stay inside and babysit.

He looked down at the food, compared to his family he had more potatoes, but there was still chicken on the plate too. He began to eat, not missing how it made the ache in his jaw slightly worse, but he ignored it, too excited by the idea of finally being outside and able to work off this energy.

"Wilby." Tommy looked up at his brother from where he had been pretending to eat the potatoes, he was never a huge fan of them, but seeing as it was this or nothing Tommy guessed he should eat them sooner rather than later, but first, talk to his brother.

Once he had Wilbur's attention Tommy spoke again. "Why does Techno get to go outside but we don't?" There was something sulky in the child's voice, he thought it was just so unfair that Techno could go outside when him and Tubbo were stuck inside the house all day.

Wilbur smiled at his little brother. "Well, you know how me and Techno are from the Nether, right?" Once Tommy nodded Wilbur continued the explanation. "Well the Nether is very, very hot, and because of us both being half Piglin we can become energised by the heat, because it's so hot today it's messing with Techno a bit. He'll be fine once he can work off some of his energy."

Tommy frowned, staring at his half piglin brothers with a confused expression. "But won't the sun burn you?"

It was Phil who explained next. "No, the sun won't burn Techno, it might burn Wilbur if he's out without any shade for too long, but they have tougher skin than me and you and Tubbo. The sun won't hurt them like it will us. That's why we have to stay inside, to prevent getting hurt. It's not just burns from the sun that you need to be careful of, it can make you very sick if you're too hot for too long."

The curious boy nodded and Phil continued to talk, "How about, if it's cool enough, tomorrow we go into the town and pick you boys up some things." Phil tapped his chin, thinking. "Let's say the goal is to get Tubbo a new bee plushie, you Tommy, well you need new shirts, I swear you grow far too quickly, and you can pick up something while we're there. Wilbur you can get some books on guitars. And Techno's, that will be a surprise" He nodded to himself, feeling proud at the happy, and confused, expressions on his son's faces.

The next few minutes passed in silence as the family ate, the only commotion that happened next coming from Tubbo choking on his water, but this was quickly solved by itself.

It didn't take that much longer for the eldest child to finish eating and stand up, taking his plate to the sink. Technoblade walked from the room and to his one. He emerged a few minutes later, his long pink hair tied into a plait, now he was wearing a pale blue shirt, probably stolen off Wilbur and, as usual when he wasn't going into a town, his pajama bottoms. Even if he was going to be ractacing with a sword he could be comfortable.

Techno opened the door to the house, instantly being hit by a wall of heat. The half piglin couldn't explain it, but it was nice. He stepped out, having not put any form of shoes on he could hear Tommy arguing with Phil in the main room and laughed to himself.

The sky seemed to stretch on forever as he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. The boy made his way to the side of the house where a wooden sword rested along with a log. Technoblade grabbed the sword, the voices yelling their encouragement, he began to pretend he was fending off hostile mobs, but being only nine he was not in any way skilled. But that didn't matter to him, he was having fun, that was all that mattered.

He didn't know how long he was out there in the heat for, pretending to be fighting, practicing parries and blows with the dull sword. The distraction did prove to prevent him from noticing the dull ache in his jaw though.

Laughs and yells joined the sound of the child playing. Phil smiled as he watched through a window, he enjoyed seeing how much fun the boy was having as he pretended to fight. Phil had decided that by the time that Techno was 12 he should have a stone sword, not a sharp one, but it would help hone his skills. The blond man wasn't going to complain about his son learning to fight to protect the family, after all, it would be useful skills for him to have. A lot of humans still didn't like hybrids, especially when they looked so visibly different to them. He could pass by well enough by simply wearing a cloak over his wings, Tubbo would probably be fine, people tended to like "cute" hybrids such as him, Tommy was fully human, so he was probably completely fine too, and Wilbur looked human, the only signs of his piglin blood being in his behaviours and ability to speak Piglin, a language known to be near impossible for those without Piglin blood to learn due to the noises that were needed to form it.

The sun was starting to set now, but it was clear that Techno wasn't slowing down soon, he was having too much fun with the pretend hacks and slashes of the sword, so Phil decided to get Wilbur to fetch him in, not liking the idea of going out himself, it was still just so hot. But that's what he got for deciding to form his little family where he did. The secluded woods he lived in felt the weathers so strongly, but luckily for him and his oldest boys it hardly snowed. Just rained, constantly.

"Wilbur, get your brother inside now, it's getting dark!" Phil yelled into the house, knowing that Wilbur had heard when he could hear footsteps coming from Tommy and Tubbo's room and running down the stairs.

He caught a quick glimpse of the tall boy as he dashed out the door to collect his sibling in. Phil smiled, the way he obtained his family may have been unconventional, but he was happy with it. It was his family.

Almost as always when he thought about the family he remembered that night when he had been given Tubbo, how small the boy was, how that scar ran through his fluffy ear like a river. The scar was still there and Tubbo was still much smaller than his brothers, but he was a happy child, and that's all that really mattered. Not that he had been given in a box because his biological father didn't want him, not that they were unsure of his actual birthday and only really knew that he was a handful of months older than Tommy. That didn't matter, for now at least.

One day he would have to tell the story of how he found each of the boys, but for now, he would let them be. Tommy and Tubbo were only small after all, they didn't need to know that they weren't related to Phil quite yet. He would let the boys be kids. Teach them respect and maturity, but let them be boys.

Phil thought he was quite a good father, and considering how easily he had welcomed the four boys into his home, heart and family, he could be said to be a good father.