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It's been years since Alex's wings have actually seen the daylight. For so long he's kept them tucked away and hidden. Partly for his safety and some because of his shame. Just a few months ago his wings were badly damaged from years of being strapped down to his back. But over time, he's decided to finally let his wings free and take care of them. But that does entail not going outside unless completely necessary.
It was a long and uncomfortable process, he contemplated giving up and just strapping them back down many times. Nonetheless he persevered and now he has a set of sleek shiny wings, how they were always supposed to be. He could even say they rival Phil's at this point. Of course, Phil has much larger wings being a crow and all while he's a duck. Even so, he feels something of pride for his wings now. So why shouldn't he show them off?
-
At this point in his life, it's almost kind of calm…all that war stuff has been years past. It's relatively peaceful. Most grudges have dissolved over time. And now he's ready to just be himself, not Schlatt's right hand man or subservient husband. Just Alexis Quackity.
This seems like a good time to go out. It's early in the day and it doesn't mean he's going to go around talking to people. For starters he needs to go get a restock of supplies. So, his first official day out with his wings out will be an errand in the woods but baby steps, baby step. He's not a fucking idiot to go parading around. He may not hold many grudges anymore, but he can't say the same for the rest of the people around here.
______
Alex starts by collecting some apples, having his wings out really does make things easier. Of course, he's still not strong or prepared enough to fully fly, but right now he can hover a few feet so getting apples feels like a breeze.
To the shock of some people, he doesn't really like meat all that much. Undoubtedly there was that time when he ate Schlatt's heart but that was purely out of spite. Truly he rarely eats meat unless he's starving or ran out of other food. It might be an avian thing but he's not sure. The only person who could provide an answer would be Phil but no way in hell would he be talking to Philza anytime soon.
Snap
A snapped twig sounds behind him. Alex turns around immediately. Of course it had to be him. Out of anyone it just had to be him…Technoblade is standing around 10 feet away from him in all his terrifying glory. Quackity feels his throat closing up and the memoried pain in the side of his face. He had been lucky to not lose one of his eyes that day. But it still left a scar from his mouth to his eyebrow.
Technoblade hasn't said a word yet but just his presence turns Alex into a prey ever so quickly. He doesn't want to play this game, no cat and mouse. It does not end well. So, he decides to be brave or maybe stupid. At this point he's not sure.
“I thought you were in the arctic.”
…
Okay this is now freaking him out. What game is Technoblade playing at?..he's never been just silent like this. It's unnerving. He's just staring…staring at his wings…shit.
Alexis starts taking a step back..every step he takes is met with one coming forward from Technoblade…what the fuck, what the fuck.
“Hellooo?...what are you doing around here?”
“Gold.”
“What?”
“I need it.”
“Technoblade, I don't know what you're talking about, I have no gold on me.” Has this man officially been knocked off his rocker? He always thought Phil would be first.
Technoblade then begins to approach very fast. Alex isn't sure what possessed him really, but he does end up in a tree holding onto it for dear life, his wings puffed out. It doesn't even seem to faze Technoblade as he begins to climb the tree…his eyes dead set on him, his pupils are dilated barely any color showing just black. Quackity has seen crazy and thought he saw Technoblade’s crazy when he was being attacked by him before. But this is a whole new level, this is completely feral.
“Techno! Technoblade! What the fuck are you on about?! I don't have anything!”
He is completely freaking out. What the hell is he supposed to do? He can't face the wrath of Technoblade…not again..out of sheer panic..Alex just launches apples at Technoblade hoping to bring him back to some sense.
When Quackity thinks all hope is lost Technoblade finally pauses…his eyes beginning to get color back…he slides back down to the ground. Alex stays up in the tree in safety.
“Hello, Quackity.”
“Is that all you have to say?! What the fuck just happened?!”
“If you come down from there, I will explain it to you.”
“Fuck no.”
It seems Technoblade is still trying to get him to come closer which is a big no no after being chased up a tree.
“That's fair.” Technoblade sighs and runs a hand through his pink hair. “Since when have you had wings?” Techno raises a brow.
“None of your business. Why are you here.”
“Hunting.”
“Obviously.”
“Not you, there aren't as many animals I'd eat in the arctic. And you just happen to be here.”
“Now are you going to tell me what the fuck just happened?”
“Are you going to come down?”
Stubborn bastard…Alex relents because holding himself up in this tree is uncomfortable and becoming very difficult. He climbs down..now standing in front of the piglin hybrid.
“It's your wings.”
“Huh?”
“They're the problem.” Technoblade answers simply like it's the most obvious thing.
“Excuse you, you'd think being around Phil and being a hybrid yourself would keep your opinions more pro hybrid.”
Technoblade groans. “That's not what I meant, idiot. Your wings…they're gold..” Techno starts looking at them again his pupils getting slightly bigger.
Alex folds his wings down behind him as much as possible to avoid the red staring eyes. “They're yellow.”
“They're gold.”
“no they're not- wait a minute you were demanding gold from me. You were talking about my wings?!”
“Well yes.”
“What the hell man, no you cannot have my wings you freak.”
Technoblade grunt in irritation. “Obviously I'm not going to take your wings off your back. Phil would kill me and I'm not that cruel.”
“Sure…”
“Wait- shit Phil was right. I just thought his instincts were starting to get screwy.” Techno seems to be more talking to himself.
“What are you on about?”
“Phil has been saying for years that there was another avian around here, one that he hasn't been able to find. Turns out you're the lucky birdie.”
“I don't feel very lucky right now. Can we get back on track. Why did you even want my wings?”
“Because they're gold.”
Quackity deadpans “Wow. That really explains it all.”
“Have you never been to the nether?”
“I have.”
“Have you ever interacted with a piglin?”
“Nope.”
“God, you make this so much more difficult” Technoblade pinches the top of his nose.
“Piglins love gold. I don't know why, it's just instinctual. Your wings are gold; you triggered my instincts.”
“All it took was a pair of shiny wings and you go feral? But you wear gold all the time? You're wearing it right now.”
“Yes, because it's mine. It's on me. Therefore, I need your wings in my hold or in my home to really have them.”
“Definitely not going to happen.”
“Hm.” Technoblade's eyes narrow.
Alex bites the inside of his cheek, he does not like where this is going. “Don't just ‘Hm’ me, you don't need them.”
“But I want them.”
“You have plenty of gold! My wings are even real gold, they're just color.” Quackity attempts to reason with the greedy Piglin.
Technoblade seems to just ignore that statement all together.
“Well, my only solution is to just take you since they're attached to you. You are the wings, and I won't cut wings off of any avian as I've already stated.”
“Don't be crazy, you don't want me. I tried to kill you.”
“and I killed you, it's all passed. You'd make a good addition to the hoard.”
“Stop fucking with me asshole.” Alex shoots him a glare but on the inside, he feels fear. Technoblade is one of the few people that genuinely scares him. Makes him feel like cornered prey.
“Part of me wishes I was joking…they should change that story from ugly duckling to unlucky Duckling. I think you get where I'm going with this.”
Alex immediately tries to make a run for it. Failing just a few seconds later when he gets hit with a potion…his limbs start to feel like they're collapsing in on themselves…a weakness potion…fuck it must've been a double because he feels drowsy as shit…
“Normally I'd enjoy a good chase, Alexis..but you've been caught since the moment I laid eyes on those wings..”
That's the last thing Alexis hears as he succumbs to the potions, going unconscious.
_____
Warm too warm…is all Alex thinks as he begins to regain consciousness. He blinks his eyes open, and he's met with gold…gold everywhere…
He sits up and tries to move but is met with a tug on his ankle. He looks down and sees a gold chain attached to his ankle and bolted into the ground. Shit.
This whole room looks like it's out of a fantasy…mounds and mounds of gold in all different forms. How in the ever-loving fuck did Technoblade manage to get this much gold? I guess that shouldn't be his main concern right now being that he's now a new piece to his insane collection.
Alex Is sat in the middle of all this. Surprisingly in a nest, a very nice one as well..I guess it makes sense that Technoblade knows Avian's nest seeing that he's so close with phil. God this is the first time he wishes Phil was here. He would probably knock some sense into Technoblade, tell him off about caging a bird or something. Philza might be the only person who can really reason with Technoblade-
He doesn't get to finish that thought before the door opens. The large piglin Hybrid walking in.
“You're awake.”
“...”
“Silent treatment, huh? That's fine, I thrive on silence.” he walks over climbing into the nest to sit next to Alexis.
“You're insane.”
Technoblade chuckles “I'm aware, bird.” He reaches his hand out to Alex’s wings.
Alex quickly swats his hand away. “Don't touch me.”
Technoblade puts his hands up in mock surrender. “So antsy, I hate to break to you Alexis, but you don't have much say in this situation.”
Quackity really hates how calm and collected Technoblade is. How he believes what he says with no doubt in his tone. Is he ever going to get out of this?...
“You have so much gold and other stuff, why do you need me? You can't possibly need to take everything because of its color. If you did, you’d be stealing from everyone.”
“You’re different”
“How?!” Alex is getting frustrated with no clear answer from Technoblade.
“Truly Alex I don't know..but I think if you were to leave my sight, I might go mad.”
“Madder than you already are.” Alex grumbles and massages his temples.
Technoblade takes Alex’s moment of distraction and runs his hand down the soft golden feathers on Alex’s wings. They puff out at his touch.
Quackity fights the urge to hiss at him. He speaks through clenched teeth.
“You were just fine without me for years. It's just wings, they aren’t even real gold.”
“Quackity-”
“If anything, I'll just be a burden, a nuisance, another mouth to feed.”
“Alexis.”
“And I'm very loud and opinionated. And most people think I'm very annoying and rude and unbearable to be around-”
Quackity is finally cut off when he's being practically tackled. He was already on the floor in the first place, now he's just layed back with a giant beast on top of him..too heavy of a mass for him to push off.
“You can't insult yourself out of this Quackity, it just makes me want to keep you more.”
Alexis is face to face with large pupils again, is this Technoblades instincts speaking? He can't tell.
“I don't understand you..” Quackity drops his eyes.
“I care about you.”
The words are said with so much certainty, he almost believes them..almost.
“No, you care about my wings.”
“Your wings are you; you can't have one without the other. Now stop insulting yourself, it makes my instincts act up.”
“I hate you.”
“I love you.”
Alexis’s stomach clenches. He hates this, he hates those words. He hates that he likes hearing them.
“No, you don’t..”
“I don't think you get to decide what I do and don't love, birdie.” Technoblade keeps himself wrapped around Alex, he pushes his fingers up through Alex’s hair, taking off his beanie and revealing the tuff’s of feathers around both of his ears…cute.
“Why is this so hard..”
For once Alexis sounds vulnerable but not in the way Technoblade has made Alex vulnerable before. Not from violence or fear but from care and love.
“It doesn’t have to be..”
Technoblade holds him tighter almost like in a hug… Alex can hear and feel purrs coming from Techno. They surround him. Calming and comfortable. He shouldn't feel like this. This is wrong on so many levels. This is his captor for christ sakes..but even so Alexis can't seem to get his body to move, to fight back. He feels like he's turning into mush.
He shouldn't be reacting this way, especially to someone who's caused him so much fear and terror, all those nightmares and panic attacks. He should want to run, to scream, to fight. But he doesn't. He can't deny it..what is wrong with him?..
“What're you doing to me…?” He can't even stop the tears from tickling down his cheeks.
“Giving you something you've always needed. Your body knows so…your mind even seems to be catching up.”
Technoblade keeps holding Quackity like he's precious. Stroking his hair and the tufts of feathers around his ears. Drowning him in purrs. Techno has never felt more fulfilled. He hopes he can get Alex to feel the same way eventually. But for now, this will do. He's never seen Alexis like this before, so comfortable, so calm and soft. Maybe this is what it was always meant to be like for him. He just didn't realize soon enough. Never let himself get close enough for his instincts to find out. Technoblades instincts were always blocked out when he's fighting. Overtaken by his voices demanding blood from the very thing he's holding in his arms right now. He could of had this the entire time…
__
Maybe this Isn't so bad. Maybe this is right...Alex can't convince himself otherwise at this point. He's never felt this way before…so safe in the arms of an enemy. His instincts rebuke the word enemy replacing it with one they're much fonder of…’Protector’ Yes this must be true he's with his protector now and he's safe and warm. He doesn't want to leave. He wants to stay in this forever. Covered In warmth and purrs and security.
He's not unlucky anymore.