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Technoblade used to love his life. What’s not to love? He was the crown prince of the most powerful kingdom in the entire nation, he was the undefeated champion of pvp, and he had the respect of thousands of townsfolks.
One day, that all changed.
On the eve of Techno’s eighteenth birthday, an entertainer came to town. They wore a large brown cloak, never showed their face, and spoke with an air of mystery. The cloaked figure requested to perform at the annual ball held for royal birthdays, and the King and Queen readily agreed. Techno was suspicious of the “performer,” but when he voiced his opinion, he got waved off by his parents. They should’ve listened to him.
When Techno was standing on the stage, his father in front of him, the crown being lowered onto his head, the figure struck. A second before the gold would be placed on his fuschia hair, a sizzling sound filled the air. The residents of the room looked around in confusion, before a bright light started emitting from the cloaked figure. Techno shielded his eyes with his hand, before dropping it when the light was no longer blinding.
The prince looked to his father to see what had happened, and when the two made eye contact, Techno killed his first of many. He didn't know what had happened at first. One moment he was looking at his father’s cerulean eyes, the next shock covered the king’s face before he suddenly fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thump.
Techno watched as people quickly rushed to his aid, feeling his pulse, and then announcing he was dead. Numerous people shot their gazes to the crown prince, who looked at them all with horror, before they too dropped dead. He whipped his head toward the cloaked figure in the corner of the room, marching his way over the person, before demanding to know what had happened.
The figure merely laughed in his face. “Oh Prince Technoblade, can’t you see? You’re finally becoming the monster you’ve always had inside of you.” The prince watched in confusion as two frail hands made their way toward his face, cupping them in an icy hold. “Your ruby eyes are now crimson, and everytime you make eye contact with someone, they will drop dead,” a hand left his face to snap, the sound resonating throughout the ballroom, “just like that.”
Techno quickly scrambled away from the figure, the freezing hands making their way back into the dark cloak. He looked towards his mother for guidance, only to find her facing the other way. He managed to avoid the people scrambling around on the dancefloor, making his way to the queen before lightly tapping her on the shoulder. Her back went rigid, her shoulders tense. “Mom…?”
“Prince Technoblade, leave. Leave immediately, you are not welcome here.” He stumbled back at the words, turning around to face the sea of people. Many were completely facing the other way, but the ones still watching him looked furious. They made sure they avoided the crimson eyes, but Techno could feel their anger like it was a million tiny daggers stabbing into him. Everywhere he looked, he was met with faces of disgust, of resentment; he’s never felt more alone.
He quickly bolted out of the side exit, hearing the yells of fury behind him. He ran from the kingdom, only stopping when his legs couldn’t hold him any longer. He had made his way to a cave on the side of the mountain adjacent to the palace, a safe haven from the blistering wind whistling by. He sat heavily on the stone floor, he elbows propping up on his knees, his hands holding his head. He could feel warm tears on his cheeks, anger at himself coursing through his blood.
After a few minutes, he felt his hatred shift towards the townsfolk; the townsfolk who so quickly turned their backs on him. Did they think he wanted to be cursed? Did they think he chose to be like this? He quickly stood up and made his way to the opening of the cave, peering down at the village he once ruled with bitterness.
He stalked around the cave, pacing in circles while he thought of what to do, before suddenly his foot hit a soft bag. He picked up the old rucksack, turning it over in his hands before his breath caught in his throat. He recognized this bag, the old leather, the torn second pocket, the fraying edges; this was his old bag he brought to the fighting competitions. He quickly rummaged inside, his hand hitting daggers, bandages, medicinal potions, before his hand caught on a tusk. He felt a grin cover his face.
He pulled out the old pig mask, turning it over in his hands, feeling the skull weathered with age. His fingers touched the white pieces of glass covering the eye sockets, an idea popping into his head. He took out the daggers from the bag and strapped them to his belt, placing the familiar mask over his face. He stepped out of the cave into the warm night, the moon lighting his way toward the village.
He kept low in the village, hiding behind pillars from the people walking by. He could hear their whispers, their words mocking the prince. He quickly broke into his old room in the palace, grabbing his faithful diamond sword from his bedside, ducking onto the balcony at the sound of footsteps getting closer. He could hear multiple people enter the room, their voices booming throughout the space.
“I don’t know how the Queen is going to continue on, with her husband dead and her son a monster.” He gripped the sword tighter to his chest, deciding to leave the palace before his anger took ahold of him. His walk through the town was filled with more loud voices calling him every disgusting word in the dictionary. Animal, psycho, monster, pig.
Well if they want a pig, they better get ready for a boar.
The sunrise the next morning cast the village in a warm glow, vibrant reds bathing the town center. The sun illuminated the bloodied diamond blade held by the man at the cave entrance, watching as the village was silent for once. The warm beams of light cascaded down on the corpses lining the streets. The bodies with sword wounds, daggers sticking out of some, blood pooling under their limp bodies; none of them dying due to crimson eyes.
The man at the cave smiled, wiping his blade on the blades of grass on the edge of the stone. He took off his pig mask, his hand falling limp to the side, the mask falling and rolling to a stop next to his feet. He sighed heavily, lightly kicking the mask back into the cave, before submerging himself in the darkness too, the village falling out of his sight.
-
Dream knew of the beast. Everybody knew of it since that fateful summer night three years ago, when a man ran into their town screaming about a monster killing people in the neighbouring village. Men were sent out to assess the damage, coming back with news that the only survivor was the man who made their way to them. Since then, the king would send out men on solo missions to go kill the beast in the mountains. Nobody has ever made it back.
On the morning of Dream’s twenty first birthday he got news that he would be the next sent out, and he would need to leave immediately the next day. He wasn’t happy that he would have to go die for his village, but he knew that refusing would mean public shaming. He gathered his stuff in a pack, and left the next morning.
The journey was greuling, the masked man getting lost multiple times, before he felt the ground under his feet start to incline. This must be it. The trek up the mountain wasn’t bad, agile feet made their way across the harsh rocks jutting out from the sides of the hill. He continued on the well trodden path made by past men, the air getting thinner as the elevation increased.
He heard his footsteps echo and assumed he was at the entrance to the cave the beast was told to reside in, and the sound of somebody moving slightly inside the rock confirmed his suspicions. He quickly raised his axe in a defensive position, starting to tiptoe into the opening. He stopped for a second to gain his footing, listening for the telltale sound of clothes rustling.
Instead, he heard the sound of a sharp blade whizzing through the air, his hands instinctively raising his own weapon to block the attack. A puff of air was felt from the beast next to him, and the fight began. The two fought like they were performing a waltz, blades clashing harshly. Dream realized during the fight that the beast fought like a man, and he wondered just how much of the lore he was told about the pig beast in the mountains was true. The battle ended with cold stone under Dream’s back, the end of a blade lifting his chin up.
“I’m impressed, most men don’t make it this far.” The chill of the blade vanished, the sound of a sword being sheathed sounding in the cave. “I suppose I should kill you now.” Dream grit his teeth, his body laying still on the ground, not wanting to stand to get closer to his demise. The two were silent for a moment, before the beast scoffed. “What, not going to protest?”
“Don’t see a point, aren’t you just going to kill me anyway?”
A hum of agreement was heard, before hands were suddenly lifting the blond up by his forearms. He opened his mouth to ask what the man was doing, but was cut off by being pushed into a chair. His hands flew to the chair’s arms, feeling hardwood under his fingertips, steadying himself from swaying. He heard the man walk until he was stood in front of Dream. He heard another small hum, this one of understanding.
“When are you guys going to give up? The hundreds of people you’ve sent that I killed aren’t enough to stop you? Do you all have a death wish or something?”
The seated man scoffed, his hands waving incredulously. “I don’t even know why they keep sending people out here, since obviously nobody is strong enough to defeat you. But if you’re chosen by the royal family, you can’t refuse, it would be a crime.” The man in front of him was silent. “Why haven’t you killed me yet?”
“You interest me.” Dream’s eyebrows furrowed behind his mask. The man, as if sensing his confusion, spoke again. “Nobody has even gotten close to beating me, but you almost won. You’re different from the rest. You’ve also been the only one to show distaste toward your own king and his actions.” Well yeah, the king’s a dick.
“So what, you’re just going to keep me here?”
“Pretty much, yeah. Can’t have you going back to your kingdom and babbling about how I have a heart, it’d ruin my reputation.” The laugh the man let out was filled with resentment, but the blond didn’t feel as though it was directed toward him. “You’ll stay here, do stuff for me, and your pay is me not killing you. Do we have an agreement?”
Dream was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Okay, deal.”
-
The two matched perfectly, and as the days went on, Techno found himself getting more and more comfortable. The blond navigated the cave like he’s been there his whole life, and whenever they went on outings to gather food, the masked man displayed his outstanding swordsmanship. Techno almost felt bad about lying to the man.
It was only a white lie, really. He honestly didn’t care about how people felt about him, especially some random neighbouring kingdom that he didn't know existed until that fateful day a month ago. All he knew was that when he glanced at the blond’s face to deliver the final blow, and found that his crimson eyes did no damage to the covered face, he felt a feeling akin to hope gathering in him.
It had been so long since he'd spoken to someone like a normal human, and he knew this might be his only chance. It doesn’t hurt that the man’s golden hair shined in the sunlight when they left the dreary cave, or the fact that the man insisted on always finding a flower for the ex-prince when they went to get food; neither of those matter to the pink haired man at all. Whenever the man revealed his name was Dream, it fit almost too perfectly.
Today, it was a poppy presented to him by hands adorning fingerless gloves. He took the flower sheepishly, willing his face to not become pink. The moment the flower was out of the man’s hands, he was whipping around to kill a passing chicken.
They had a feast that night, filled with chicken, bread, and an abundance of potatoes. When the two settled down for bed, bedrolls right next to each other to “block out the cold,” Dream’s words, not his, Techno’s whole body felt full. His heart was practically bursting with affection for the blond who was snoring at his side.
Yeah, he didn’t feel too bad about lying.
-
Dream awoke to the sound of footsteps and hushed whispers, his hands instinctively reaching to grab the axe that laid beside him. He could feel the heat of a body behind him, confirming his suspicions that it was not his companion walking around. He slowly sat up and made his way out of his bedroll, tucking the blankets down to try and keep the heat inside.
He walked toward the entrance of the cave, hiding around a corner to try and gauge where the men were. He counted three separate sets of footsteps making their way towards him, one voice talking quietly while two made obnoxious shushing sounds.
“I’m telling you two, the beast is probably a complete lie; a fable made up to scare children. I bet we’re going to turn this corner and find a sign that says something like ‘congratulations! You’ve found out the truth, here take this gold and go start a new life somewhere far away.’” The sarcastic tone in the man’s voice was replaced with a blood curdling shriek, resonating throughout the cave, when the three turned the corner to find an axe in their faces.
Dream could hear them scrambling for their weapons, desperately trying to defend themselves against the sharp axe. He grinned under his mask, feeling the familiar thrum of adrenaline coursing through his body. He quickly made his way through the three men, not showing mercy for the hunters. When the three became mere corpses on the ground, Dream heard another pair of footsteps, this time coming from behind him.
“Dream? What happened?”
He could hear the exhaustion from the man behind him, the raspy voice sending shivers down his spine. Dream moved the axe to behind his back, smiling sheepishly under his mask, knowing the other couldn’t see. “Uh, you know, just some midnight hunting.” He could feel himself being slightly pushed aside, the man holding his arm tensing when he sees the three dead on the ground. His companion lets out a long sigh, resting his exhausted body on the cave wall.
“Why do they keep sending people after you anyway?” Dream could feel the man’s gaze boring into his mask. “I mean, from what the king told everybody, you’re some bloodthirsty beast who won’t stop until somebody kills you. But after living here for, what, two months? I’ve gathered that you are in no way the beast they say you are. What did you do?” A drawn out sigh filled the room, before the man started retelling the story that banished him to this cave.
When the man was done, Dream could feel anger coursing through his blood. What kind of cold, heartless people would kick a boy out of his home due to something he couldn’t control? Next to the anger stood sadness, sympathy for something he couldn’t have helped prevent. He heard a small sniffle from the man standing in front of him, and he made his way forward with his arms out.
A weight settled in his arms, Dream resting his head on top of the man’s shoulder. He whispered words of encouragement to the ex-prince, his hands tracing mindless patterns on the man’s back. He felt hair tickling his exposed neck, threatening to cause small giggles to leave the blond’s mouth. The weight of the man’s head left Dream’s shoulder, and he took the hand off his back to bring it to his face.
Tracing the sharp jaw and high cheekbones with his thumb, he wished he could voice all the comfort the man in front of him deserved. This man was no beast, he was simply a human who was ostracized by the people who were supposed to look up to him. By the way the man’s eyebrows unfurrowed under his thumb, he supposed his message got across. He rested their foreheads together, his hands still on the man’s face, simply cupping his cheeks; he would do whatever he could to protect this man in front of him.
-
Dream had been living with him for three months when Techno felt his heart get ripped from his chest, and then forcefully shoved back in.
The two were sparring, which wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, but today Techno was furious . The people arriving at his cave to kill him increased tenfold since those three didn’t make it back, and this time they were in packs. Dream and Techno had to defend against five, ten, sometimes fifteen people.
Techno’s blood boiled earlier that day when he gazed down at where Dream was making his way up the mountainside with fresh meat, noticing six men lurking behind him quietly. He quickly grabbed his mask and sword and took down the men sent after him, quickly checking on the blond haired man to see if he was okay. He was, and they continued with their day, but Techno still felt anger palpating in his chest.
Techno knew he shouldn’t have taken his emotions out on Dream, he knew he should be more careful with the blond who held his heart so closely , but the man had suggested they spar to get rid of his frustrations, and he couldn’t hold back. They fought hard, more similar to their first fight than their recent battles for pure fun. Techno took the offensive the entire time, Dream simply letting the man release his anger.
One hit landed too hard, however, and Techno heard the sickening crack of porcelain before Dream’s mask split in half, two equal sides falling to the cave floor. Techno’s hands have never moved faster, his palms covering his eyes from the man in front of him. He couldn’t hurt Dream, he couldn’t hurt the man who currently owns his affection, he wouldn’t. He could feel his heart rate pick up, his breathing increasing with it, before soft hands wrapped around his wrists.
“Hey, Techno, it’s okay.” The ex-prince furiously shook his head, his hands clutching his face tighter, desperate to keep the two from making eye contact. “Please look at me Techno, I promise you won’t hurt me.” The hands on his wrists gripped harder, trying to tear the hands away from his face.
“Don't you understand?! I’ll kill you Dream. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let that happen. Please, you have to leave.”
The hands left his wrists, and he desperately wanted to beg the man to stay, to not leave him alone again, but he knew it was for the best. “Hey, Techno you can look at me now, I have the mask covering my face.” The hands covering his eyes dropped, but he kept his gaze towards the floor, not daring to look up.
He felt a hand raise his chin, the action similar to the one performed by the ex-prince the day they met, and he raised his eyes, expecting to meet the mask with a large crack down the middle. What he was not expecting, however, was for the two halves of the mask to be held by one hand beside the blond’s face, eyes staring directly into his. Terror struck him, images of the blond falling limp flashing through his mind, but nothing happened.
His crimson eyes bore into the eyes in front of him, noticing the emerald green irises that were glazed over with a white film. Wait. “You’re blind?!” The man in front of him laughed, and wow, did his face light up.
“Yeah! Did you not know? I thought it was obvious! Do you not remember that time you compared your hair color to that rose I gave you, and I did not laugh at all?”
“I just thought you found me unfunny.”
Wheezing laughter echoed in the cavern, and Techno felt his heart soar. Affection coursed through him, only heightening when he made accidental eye contact with the milky eyes. His own laughter coursed through the cave, intertwining with the blond’s beautiful melody. He couldn’t stop staring at the man, noticing the freckles dotting his cheeks, creating constellations that deserved to be painted.
“Wait, then how are you so good at fighting?”
“You’re very loud you know.”
“Oh get back here you little shit.”
The source of the melody moved throughout the cave, following the sound of footsteps pounding. The song lasted all night, the cavern emitting a glow of happiness into the dark sky. The two have never felt more content.
-
With the winter fast approaching came the frigid wind. The nights grew longer, the air colder, the clouds produced small snowflakes that cascaded down at the gaping cave entrance. Every night, Techno could feel the man at his back shivering. He was used to the piercing cold, he’s lived up here for three years after all. He felt the overwhelming urge to turn around and coddle the man, but he resisted every time, not wanting to make the other comfortable.
One night, Techno could hear Dream shuffling every couple of seconds, his chattering teeth echoing slightly. He felt the blond man finally settle down, and he could feel the man’s breath lightly hit his back. The night was quiet, before Dream hesitantly broke it. “Techno…?”
“Yeah?”
The blond shifted some more, buying some time before opening his mouth again, his whisper barely heard by the ex-prince. “Could we maybe, um, maybe share a blanket or something? I’m freezing.” Techno would not label the blond man shy, he’s quite the opposite really. However, right now, the timid voice tugged on Techno’s heart strings. He turned around on his bedroll, facing his companion. Milky eyes stared up at him, hesitance covering his face.
“Sure.” He hoped Dream couldn’t hear the fondness in his voice, hoped he was too preoccupied with the warm blanket wrapping around his shoulders. The two had to shuffle closer to each other, the blanket not made to hold two people. They made eye contact again, crimson meeting milky white, before the blond ducked his head, leaning forward to slightly hit the space between Techno’s collarbones. The ex-prince hoped he couldn’t hear how fast his heart was beating.
Arms made their way around the blond’s back, one draped over his upper arm, the other slightly cradling the messy hair on the man’s head. A sigh was heard before the head on his chest burrowed closer, his breath warming his heart from the outside. Their bodies intertwined, their warmth became one, and they unknowingly gave each other their hearts that night.
The nights after that became less cold, warmth seeping into bones from where their bodies were connected, one warm line of comfort.
-
They confessed their feelings to each other two weeks after they made their new sleeping arrangement, while sitting at the cave entrance under a blanket.
They were gazing at the stars when Techno focused his eyes on the man next to him, love coursing through his veins. His breath caught in his throat at the head tilted up, milky eyes staring at the stars like they held the answers to the universe, even if he couldn't see them. The moonlight softened the man’s features, illuminating the dark stars dotting his cheeks. The man’s face suddenly turned toward his, their breaths intermingling, their eyes holding contact.
“Techno…” The blond man trailed off, one hand raising to cup Techno’s face, his thumb running across his cheek. The ex-prince grabbed his other hand, bringing it to his lips to deliver a soft kiss, the warm skin heating up under his affection.
“Dream, if you couldn’t tell by now, I’m very fond of you.” He could hear the small hitch of breath from the man in front of him, the hand in his own tightening. “If you even alluded to it, I would bring down the world for you. I would repaint the stars in the sky, hoping to illustrate the clusters on your cheeks.” To drive his point, he placed a small kiss under the man’s left eye, right where a bundle of freckles were housed. “I would do anything for you.”
His declaration was cut off by a pair of soft lips on his own, the hand on his cheek keeping his face in place, as if he could ever move away if he wanted to. Their fingers interlocked, affection oozing off each other in multiple points. They separated, their foreheads resting on each other’s. “Techno, I love you so much.”
The night was filled with sweet kisses, and when they went to sleep that night, neither of them felt any hesitation in burrowing closer.
-
The idea was brought up by Dream on a warm spring morning.
“Techno, think about it, love. The men in the village only know you’re here because you’ve never moved. If we simply moved somewhere, say I don't know somewhere nice next to a little pond with plenty of land for your potatoes, we wouldn’t have to worry about nighttime assassinations.”
The idea was tempting to the pink haired man, and it only took a few more nudges from Dream for them to begin packing. They didn’t have much stuff to bring with them, all of it could fit into their separate packs. They set out early in the morning, the sounds of birds chirping filling the air around them.
They searched for an entire day, and were about to give up and settle in a random place for the night, before Dream suddenly stopped. The crimson eyes that were focused on the grass looked up in confusion, before widening when he caught sight of the view in front of him.
Tall walls of rock surrounded a large pond, vines cascading down the sides of the stone from the large trees at the top. Two separate waterfalls supplied the pond with water, filling the air with the soothing sound of rushing water. The field adjacent to the pond was filled with different flowers, painting the landscape in a kaleidoscope of colors. The flat land in front of the pond was large enough to build a house, and especially large enough to plant his potato fields.
The blond on his left looked at him expectantly, his smile widening at his partner's silence. “It’s… it’s perfect, oh my god.” Fond laughter filled the air, the smile on Dream’s face only growing at the man’s words.
“Just like you.” Techno softly laughed at that, shaking his head slightly.
The construction of their house went by faster than expected, both fueled by the urgency to settle down. After a week, their house was constructed perfectly, and Techno’s potatoes were planted. The two sat on their porch the night they completed it all, listening to the sound of cascading water and the songs of cicadas. The blond looked at Techno and smiled that perfect smile of his, their eyes meeting again.
Yeah, he could get used to this.