Bones in the Ocean by bunflower

Chapter 6

Technoblade, it turns out, has a bit of an affinity for animals.

Or maybe it's just Phil's crow.

The first time the bird fluttered up onto Technoblade's shoulder instead of Phil's, the pirate had sputtered in feigned indignance, though he couldn't keep the grin off of his face.

"Oh, Brian, you little shit," he waggles a finger in the bird's face, who nips playfully back and ruffles its wings. "Playing favorites already, are we?" And he shoots an accusing look at Technoblade, who can't keep the grin off of his own face as the bird nuzzles closer into his neck with a happy croak.

"What can I say?" Technoblade drawls, lifting a finger to scratch at the soft feathers atop the crow's head. "Animals just like me."

After that, the bird sticks a lot closer to Technoblade, as if to spite Phil. The look on Phil's face when Brian gives him the cold shoulder only to cuddle up next to Technoblade instead never fails to make Technoblade laugh, if only to add insult to injury.

It's all in good fun, though a part of Technoblade does enjoy the bird's company. It's nice to have a companion when his work gets dull or things get too quiet. Brian is always quick to answer him with a throaty caw or a softer croon when he voices his thoughts aloud, and it's easy to pretend he's having an actual conversation with the bird.

It's better than admitting how silly he must look.

He was genuine when he told Phil about his tendency to bond with animals. He'd made quick friends of the dock's mousers back when he worked at the port, and a quicker friend yet of the ship's own feline companion. The little calico kitten-Crumb, Ranboo had called her; named after she'd been found covered in her namesake in the pantry of his old estate-is fierce and cuddly all at once, and though her bite packs a punch, she's swift to sweeten up to Technoblade when he offers her some dried fish.

So, yeah, he's pretty good with animals.

He usually prefers their company, anyway.

Phil is far too noisy.

His hidden talent comes in handy sooner than he expected.

They've dropped anchor not far from the shore of a small island. The crew is taking advantage of the brief reprieve to splash and swim in the clear blue waters around the ship. Technoblade still isn't much of a swimmer-he hasn't so much as set foot in the ocean since that night so many months ago. He stands and leans against the railing, watching as the crew's younger members tumble around in the waters. Tubbo and Tommy are taking turns dunking on another, squawking and shrieking playfully. Somewhere beneath the glittering surface, he can see the flash of black and white scales, and every once and a while the boys are tugged under from below. Ranboo's perplexing form had been accepted into the crew with surprising ease, after the revelation during battle. Tommy and Tubbo seemed to have known beforehand, much to his chagrin, because they scarcely so much as flinched when Ranboo first transformed again after the incident.

It doesn't surprise him.

The three are practically inseparable. It only makes sense that they'd have known Ranboo's secret from the very beginning.

He has his own suspicions that said secret might be the very reason Ranboo fled his family in the first place. There's a shadowed look in the kid's eyes when he speaks of his parents, no matter how fond the stories seem, and Tubbo seems to tense whenever the subject of him returning is brought up in conversation. But it's not his place to share, and if the kid does tell his story, it'll be when he's ready to, and only that.

Regardless, the kid is enjoying himself, and that's good enough for now. They all deserve a break, particularly after that last fight.

Phil most of all-not that he'll take one.