DreamSMP one-shots ||

// Desolation //

hii 👋👋 I would say I'm back but idk, sorry for no updates again, I've been vv busy :) But ! I am here with an extra long oneshot, the prompt isn't super original but I thought it would be fun to try & I really enjoyed writing this one. It was a bit more for practice, but yeah. That's all I think, enjoy :)

TW/CW: Abuse/child abuse, bruises, cuts/scars, trauma, panic attacks, etc;
~

     Technoblade sat in front of the fireplace in his living room, resting in one of the couple arm chairs he owned. It had been another long day, but one of the less stressful, he supposed. He wasn't hunted down in an effort to be slaughtered by anyone, the crops he was growing were thriving despite the frosty atmosphere outside, and his animals were doing alright as well; he figured these things had to count for something.
     Today was one of the quieter days, not that any other time things weren't necessarily quiet anyway. Usually he had the company of Phil to at least chat to, but the man had decided almost 24 hours ago that he'd go look for a mansion to find more totems. This mission usually took at least half a day to a couple, so Techno didn't really expect him back anytime soon.
     He'd gone over the list of the chores he needed to do for the day in his mind, making sure everything was taken care of. The window in front of him showed the sun setting slowly but surely, the wind picking up and snow beginning to fall yet again.
     The man took a deep breath, sighing with content at the day he managed to make productive coming to an end.
     His eyes were fluttering shut as he closed the book  in his lap, the voices in his head settling to a calm cease. Sleep crawled up on him slowly, the warmth of the room feeling like a warm blanket on his shoulders. He was so close to sleeping, until—
     A thump from outside. His eyes snapped open, listening closely if it were to happen again.
     Another thump. He was too paranoid to ignore it.
     He set the book carefully down on a side table, standing up and walking over the the front door where his axe leaned against the wall. It sounded like a feeble attempt at a knock, one that was slow and held stretched out seconds in between each one. He picked up the axe, gripping the handle lightly. Whatever it was it didnt sound threatening, but Techno knew better to be safe than sorry.
     He unlocked the door, resting his hand on the knob and pulling it back as a flurry of snowflakes traveled into his dining room. The cold bit at the skin on his face as the air rushed in, his feet succeeding at holding purchase on the wood floor.
     In front of him stood the one person— well, boy— that Techno didn't think he'd see (if anything) ever again.
     It was Tommy, and god did he look like shit.
     Techno didn't have time to take his presence in, as the boy that had his arms crossed in a pathetic attempt to obtain warmth was suddenly falling, as if his legs had given out right from under him. Instinctually, Techno stepped forward, dropping the axe and catching him in his arms before he could fall. "What- Tommy? What the h-"
     He didn't finish his sentence as he realized the boy's bare skin was as cold as ice against his own, he could feel it even through the white button-up he wore. Though the shirt was relatively thin, the frigid temperature of Tommy's skin sent a shock through Techno's nerves as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
     "Shit..." Techno mumbled, making an effort to pick the boy up as he leaned all his weight on Techno, which wasn't heavy in the slightest. Techno assumed the boy would be violently shaking, had he not been unconscious.
.What do I do? What the hell? Why is he here? HOW is he here? He looks half dead. Good think we know how to treat frostbite. Wait, why should we even help him?— oh right, he is half dead our arms. Don't leave him, take him inside. Help him. Hurt him. Leave him for dead. Blood, we need blood, it's been so long—
     Techno's heart beat began to quicken, between the shock, carrying Tommy inside, his too cold skin and the way it hugged every inch of his bones, the voices contradicting themselves in his head, and his own conscience to take into account, everything became overwhelming quite fast.
     He pulled himself together the best he could. He held the boy and shut the door behind him with his foot, a task that took more effort than it should've because the wood was so resistant against the wind.
     "Tommy— Tommy?" the boy's head lulled to the side, and he swore he saw his eyes flutter open for half a second, but they closed again just as fast.
     Techno brought him immediately over to the living room and the fireplace, the warmest part of the house. He laid the unusually thin boy on his couch, still slightly panicky as he tried to figure out what to do. He examined the boy for any major frostbite; he was only wearing beige cargo pants, a worn pair of shoes that definitely werent meant for snow, and that stupid red and white t-shirt he always wore. His clothes were torn and dirty, his hair was a mess and his face looked so much worse. It looked like the color in his skin had been sucked out of it, he'd even consider it to be about as pale as the snow outside.      
     Techno almost didn't catch it in his haste; the bruises of fingers and their prints that were on the sides of his neck. What the fuck?..
     His eyes scanned down his arms only to spot scars after scars, and a couple more bruises and explosions consisting of colors paled from the cold. He could see the thin veins in his transparent skin where there weren't bruises, and his gaze went down to his hands to check for frostbite in his fingers. The tips were blue, and felt like ice on Techno's own. More bruises; this time darker, and wrapping around his wrists.
     Techno couldn't help but feel concerned, he knew he shouldn't care, he knew it wasn't really his business— but Tommy was taking breaths so shallow that Techno knew if he didn't do something that Tommy could be dead within minutes. One thing Techno did know for sure was that he didn't want Phil coming home to find another one of his kids dead, despite how little he might've showed he cared for him.
Techno grabbed a couple of the thickest blankets he could find, covering the boy the best he could. He had to check to make sure the teen was still breathing because of how still he was, before tucking him in and moving to the fireplace. He added more wood to the fire, the flame instantly intensifying in an effort to warm the room even more.
After poking at the fire for a couple minutes, he stood up and turned back to the sleeping boy on his couch. His eyes scanned over him with a feeling in his chest he couldn't place, and he found his hands wringing together anxiously.
Techno didn't know what to do with himself. He wondered if he should try and wake him up to feed him because of how the bones in his face were jutting out against his skin. When was the last time he ate? He looks half starved.
He almost did shake him awake, but held back because he realized Tommy probably needed this rest, he did collapse after all. He just felt like he needed to do something— what exactly, he wasn't sure. He wished Phil would come back, Phil would know what to do. Phil would know exactly how to take care of this, wouldn't he?
Techno's dark thoughts were chiming in at this overwhelming situation once again; Wake him up. He's going to die. Leave him be. Kill him. Blood, we need to see blood. Kill him, leave him to die. Let him rot. Let him—
Techno shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut tight. He needed a distraction for now, all he could do is wait for Tommy to wake up to assess further damage. For now, he needed something to keep control of himself.
Tea never hurt.
He took one last glance at Tommy, before rolling his eyes and sighing. He stepped into the kitchen to put a kettle on and boil water, wishing he didn't have to wait for the water to heat up.
Techno forced himself to calm as he leaned against the counter, pinching the bridge of his nose. How did Tommy get here? He's clearly terribly injured, but what happened to him? Where did he even come from, how far did he walk to even find his house in the first place? Techno didn't exactly live near any civilization— if the village a mile away didn't count— for that matter, and considering his condition he didn't look like he should've even made it this far; Techno would say that it was a miracle that he did if he didn't have such mixed feelings for the blonde boy.
Normally he wouldn't care for Tommy, but what exactly was he supposed to do? Maybe Techno was perceived as being quite ruthless and callous and everything similar under the sun, but he wasn't that heartless. At least, he'd force himself not to be.
The pink-haired man became lost in thought, and before he knew it the kettle was whistling behind him. He took it off the stove, pouring a cup and making the tea mindlessly.
Bringing the warm cup to his lips, he almost got to take a sip before he heard a noise from the other room.
Setting the cup down, Techno's feet padded against the wooden floor as he stepped into the other room.
"Wh.." He peeked around the corner to see a pale, startled Tommy tangled in thick blanket on the floor. He was breathing heavily, and the sight of Techno when he looked up probably didn't help much.
Suddenly Techno's feet were glued to the floor, eyes wide staring down at Tommy unsure of what to do to handle this situation. "Tommy?"
"What- where am- what are you-" Tommy scrambled on his hands and feet to get further away from Techno, even though they weren't relatively close at all.
"Tommy, calm down." Techno held his hands out, and Tommy kept a close eye on them.
"W- wh- where am I? How did I- What's-" the boy seemed to have regained even the smallest amount of color in his skin, but still looked like he could pass out again at any moment.
"Tommy you have to breathe okay, just breathe." Techno took a step forward.
"Fuck off! Ge- get the fuck back!" Tommy shouted, pushing himself against the wall behind him.
"What- Tommy, I'm not going to-" Tommy cut him off.
"I said GET AWAY!" he exclaimed, clutching at his chest. Techno stopped in his tracks, he needed to get Tommy to relax somehow without going any closer.
He forced his voice to calm. "Tommy, look. I know you're confused and freaked out, but I'm not going to hurt you. Trust me, if I was going to I would have already by now." he said, pausing.
Tommy scanned over him, trying to catch his breath. He felt dizzy, and Techno noticed the way his eyelids flickered closed every 10-15 seconds as if he was trying not to nod off.
"Okay?.. Just let me.. work with me here, okay?" Techno asked, stepping forward with caution as if he was approaching a small, scared animal. It was strange and unusual to Techno, he'd never remotely seen Tommy act like this before. This wasn't the same loud, chaotic, tornado of a teenager he knew; something was really wrong.
     "You knocked on my door, I found you outside. Remember that?" Techno asked softly, trying to steady his voice.
     Tommy thought for a moment, his memories were cloudy but he tried his best. He shook his head, "I.. I remember the snow, and- and running and... and feeling really tired.." he seemed to drift off into thought, his body shook from either the cold or fear, probably both.
     "You passed out, I tried to warm you up the best I could. Are you..." Techno paused, feeling like his actions were incredibly out of character for himself, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting to help at the same time. Something told Techno that this was much more than just something bad that happened, and it made him feel like his organs were twisting into knots in his stomach. "What hurts? Do you think you'll pass out again?" Techno asked, taking note of Tommy's slowly steadying breathing.
     "W-why do you care? I don't need your help, I'm fine." He tried to use the wall for leverage to stand, but his knees buckled under him, completely betraying his words.
     Techno stepped closer, holding his hands out to help him. "Tommy you came here. You came to me." he said. Tommy pushed his hands away, his own shaking nervously.
     "I didn't know it was your place, dickhead! I- I just saw your stupid house and- and there was nowhere else to go! You don't exactly live near— well— anything for that matter." Tommy said defensively, slightly pushing his back against the wall.
     He was just looking for warmth, which was understandable if you're walking in the middle of a plain of snow that seemed never ending. But what Techno wondered was where he came from, why was he out there in the first place? What happened, exactly.
     Tommy swallowed, his mouth dry. He shifted anxiously as Techno looked him over, choosing his words with care. "Tommy, why were you even out there in the first place? What happened?" he decided.
     "I don't owe you shit." Tommy spat bitterly. Techno knew he hated him, they didn't exactly have the most peaceful past with one another. Techno knew he'd made mistakes with Tommy, but never in a million years would he admit it. He just wished Tommy stopped being so difficult, though he supposed that there weren't many times where the boy wasn't difficult.
     "Tommy this is my place, you gotta give me some answers here. You can't just show up looking the way you do, passing out into my arms and not expect me to ask questions." Techno said, shoving down his frustration.
     "Fuck you. It doesn't matter, I'm not staying here anyway." Tommy pushed the man slightly, finding his footing again and walking around Techno. He wasn't about to let up that easily.
     Tommy kept walking towards the door as Techno spoke, following shortly behind. "Tommy look at yourself! You can't go out there in this condition, you said it yourself there's nothing around here for miles! You'll freeze or get frostbite, your lips are still purple for crying out loud-"
     Techno reached out for his arm, taking it in his hand. Tommy flinched, his breath catching in his throat and his eyes going wide as he looked up at Techno. The moment lasted only a second, before Tommy's rage returned to his facial features. "And?"
     "Wh- Tommy what do you mean 'and'?"
     "So what if I fucking freeze? Who fucking cares?" Tommy shouted, louder than he probably meant to.
     Techno's heart sunk as he stared back at the boy. Techno didn't know much about Tommy, but he knew enough to know that this wasn't like him at all. This was something that happened to him, taking the form of something dark inside of him that was now threatening his survival. Whatever it was was slowly breaking him down and leaving him hopeless, Techno could see it in the terribly faded color of his eyes.
     His expression must've been too serious, as Tommy's softened into a look of worry. Techno took another step forward. "I- I'm sorry- I didn't mean to yell, I- I was just-" his breathing was quickening again as he wrapped his arms around himself.
     Techno took a step back, holding his hands up so Tommy could see his palms. Tommy, apologizing? Tommy never apologized, at least Techno had never seen him. Tommy wasn't careless but he never cared enough to spare anyone's feelings enough to apologize, and now he was at the mere sight of someone even coming too close?
     Techno had already connected the dots, and this was just more proof of his situation to add on to it.
     "Okay, okay. I told you I won't hurt you, okay? I won't touch you, I won't come near." Techno tried to sound convincing. He knew he couldn't let Tommy walk through that door. "Just don't leave, okay? We can figure.. whatever's going on out."
     "You'll tell him- you'll tell him I'm here and he'll- I'll have to go back I- I can't go back." Tommy said, his voice so quiet and mumbled that Techno almost didn't hear him. Who's he even talking about?
     "I won't. I promise, let's just get you warmed up and we can talk. Or, I guess we don't have to talk- if you don't want to. I won't make you." Tommy looked confused and on edge, fidgeting and trying to hide himself when he noticed Techno scanning over his bruises again.
     "How about some tea? I made some while you were asleep." Techno suggested, feeling like he was finally getting somewhere. Tommy's body looked like he was begging for, well- anything with nutrition.
     Tommy nodded slowly, not saying anything.
     "Come." Techno said, turning and walking to the kitchen. He half looked over his shoulder once to make sure Tommy was following, he stumbled slightly but tried to hide it in a failed attempt.
     Techno poured another mug of the water that was luckily still warm. He dipped a tea bag in it, swirling it around in the water a bit before carefully handing it to Tommy, making sure he had a good grip on it so it didn't fall from his trembling grasp.
Tommy bit his lip, taking a sip and almost relaxing, until he noticed Techno's relentless gaze that was making him terribly more uncomfortable than he already was. "Stop looking at me like that." he said bluntly.
Techno scoffed. "Can you blame me? You look like you got jumped or something." he said, now over aware and more conscious of where he was looking. He knew Tommy didn't just 'get jumped.' He knew it was probably much worse, but Techno wasn't necessarily good at dealing with situations even remotely close to this and didn't really know what else to say.
"I don't want to talk about it, so don't even try." Tommy said, not making eye contact as he took another sip. His stance seemed to relax a bit as the warm liquid slid down his throat, as his joints loosened even the slightest bit.
Techno hummed. "Are you... okay?" Is that the right thing to ask?, he wondered. "Er- like, pain wise?"
"I'm fine." Tommy said, stubborn as always.
There was a long silence.
"Are you hungry?" Techno asked, cringing to himself as he tried to see how far he could push this with questions.
Tommy didn't say anything, only bringing the cup to his lips and taking another sip, finishing off the drink and setting the cup down. Sheesh.
"You should probably eat so you don't pass out again." Techno said, turning to look in his cupboard to see what he could make.
Tommy didn't say anything as Techno searched. He didn't get to come to a decision in time, as he heard the front door in the other room open and the whistling of the harsh winds from outside.
Tommy's eyes widened as he looked up, startled. His heart began beating fast, his mind deciding that whoever it was that opened the door was him, and he'd found Tommy, and he was here to grab him in that tight, tight grip to take him back, to hurt him all over again-
"Hey Techno, I'm back. Jesus it's warm in-... Tommy?" A familiar man stepped around the corner, confused at the presence of his youngest son who was currently sitting on the floor and pushing himself against the corner of where the wall and counter met, trying so hard but failing to steady his ridged breaths.
Techno squat down to Tommy's level, careful not to get too close, "Tommy it's Phil, why are you..-"
"Tommy?!" Techno moved back a bit as Phil bent down and leaned closer to Tommy. He reached a hand out to lift his chin and examine the most apparent bruises on the sides of his neck, but Tommy flinched so hard he hit his head on the wall behind him with a wince.
"Don't- no- don't touch me!" Tommy shoved him away with quick, panicked movements.
Phil looked up at Techno in deep concern and confusion. Techno returned the feelings, shrugging as if to say, 'I don't know any more than you do'.
"Tommy?..." Phil waited for the boy to calm a bit more before trying to speak again. "Tommy what... what's going on? It's- it's Phil, it's me, dad." He tried to sound comforting, but the way his tone wavered contradicted his facade of confidence.
Tears pricked at Tommy's eyes, and all Phil knew was that he needed to find a way to comfort Tommy. "Hey- no, no it's okay. Come here." Phil held his hands out.
Hot, heavy tears slipped down Tommy's cheeks. "F-fuck off! Fuck off fuck off fuck off!"
Techno could only stand and watch, and Phil didn't know what else to do. He lunged himself forward and held the boy in his arms tightly as he struggled against him, shaking violently and.. apologizing?
"Don't- I didn't mean to- I'm- I didn't-" he hiccuped inbetween quick and empty words. Phil shushed him quietly to try and calm him down.
"I'm sorry- I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry." he muttered into Phil's cloak.
Tommy buried his head in Phil's shoulder, one hand cradling his son's head as he looked back up at Techno, trying to ask, 'What the hell is going on?'
He turned his attention back to Tommy, still holding him close. "You don't have to apologize, okay? You're not in trouble, I promise. We aren't here to hurt you, okay? Shhh. It's okay, Toms." he tried to sooth him, until his loud, choked sobs were mere hiccups.
     When he was calmed enough, Phil pulled back a bit to look at him better. Tommy wiped his face with his hands to rid the tear tracks slipping down his flushed cheeks.
     "Jesus..." Phil paused, examining his injuries with frantic eyes. "Tommy you're... what happened to you?" he asked in a whisper, holding Tommy's right hand carefully in his left, running his fingers lightly over one of the two bruises that mimicked bracelets.
     There was a long silence, Techno and Phil didn't think he'd answer, until finally he did.
     "I can't... I don't think I'm.. I can't..." He doesn't think he's allowed to say it.
     Phil sighed, turning to Techno. "Get him one of my coats, would you? He's cold to the touch."
     In a haze, Tommy tried to think of something he could say. Nothing came to mind.
     Techno left the room silently, and Phil looked Tommy in the eyes. Tommy didn't return the action.
     "Can you at lease tell me who did this?... Do you think you can try to do that for me?" Phil asked softly.
     "I.. I made him angry.. it was all my fault, not his.."
     "Who? You made who angry?" Phil held Tommy's hands in his own, trying to warm them up.
     Tommy didn't say anything. All he could think about was the bad, bad hands. And how they met with soft skin only to ruin it, how they grabbed, punched, slapped. But he also thought of how they held him, how they ran through his hair in such a soothing way he'd fall asleep with no nightmares, how they wiped away his tears.
     His head spun, caught in up in his confusing, discouraging thoughts.
     "Tommy?"
     "I deserved it. I deserved it all." Tommy's voice broke.
     "You didn't. I promise you didn't." Phil paused. "Tommy whoever did this... they.. they aren't your friend. Friends don't hurt their friends, especially not like this." he tried to convince him.
     Techno came back bearing a coat much too big for Tommy, but Phil rested it on his shoulders anyway. Tommy clutched the fabric as if he was holding onto it for dear life.
     "Tell me, I promise it's okay." Phil tried one more time.
     A long, tension filled silence. Then, a quiet whisper.
     "D-Dream."